


Happy Birthday Max

by greeny1710



Series: Our Families [1]
Category: Formula 1 RPF
Genre: Also be prepared for artistic liberties bc this is my au and I do what I want lol, Domestic Fluff, M/M, Mpreg, because I am weak for it, it's max's birthday, keep checking the author notes as any potential triggers will be mentioned there, other drivers will be mentioned throughout, so I wrote a short little Max and Dan as parents fic, this is definitely going to turn into a series because I actually love Max and Dan as parents, this is literally just pure fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-30
Updated: 2020-10-13
Packaged: 2020-11-08 13:03:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 24
Words: 72,808
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20835911
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/greeny1710/pseuds/greeny1710
Summary: It's Max's birthday, and he's getting to spend it with his two favourite people*Now a series of fics revolving around Max and Dan as Dads*





	1. The one where it's Max's first birthday as a Dad

**Author's Note:**

> is this just pure fluff? yes, yes it is.
> 
> did I have too much fun writing this? yes, yes I did.
> 
> please, enjoy
> 
> HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAX, IM VERY HAPPY FOR YOUR EXISTENCE

Max woke to the feeling of someone being gently dropped onto his stomach, instinctively his arms coming up to wrap around the small body. He opened his eyes to be met with an identical pair, two tiny arms pushing against his chest and two tiny legs wriggling across him. 

A happy gurgle came out of his baby’s mouth, a hand coming up to smack Max in the face. 

“Hey, Lukas, no hitting Daddy, it’s his birthday,” Daniel said as he came to sit beside them. Max pushed himself up, holding Lukas tightly against his chest. 

“Oh, so he can hit me tomorrow but not today?”

“Well no, he’s not meant to hit you in general, but I don’t think he’ll listen to me regardless,” Dan shifted so he could wrap his arm around Max’s shoulder, pulling him into his side and tilting his chin up. 

“Happy birthday, baby,” Dan murmured against his lips, before leaning back so he could look at Max and Lukas, “We’ve got a special surprise for you.”

There was a hint of childish enthusiasm that flashed across Max’s face. He may be a parent to a barely six-month-old child, but he was still so young himself. Dan loved that, he loved the feeling of knowing that whilst Max had grown up since Lukas’s birth, he was still that same silly Max he’d fallen in love with all those seasons prior. 

“Right, you two stay and have some snuggles and I’m going to go make you a smashing breakfast,” Dan told Max, pushing him to lay down again and tucked Lukas in with him. 

Dan darted off to go make breakfast, leaving Max to be entertained by his baby. Lukas was sat on Max’s chest, Max’s hands around his waist to hold him up and let Lukas throw his hands around, way too happy and energetic for such an early start. Lukas’s dark curls were slowly coming in, making him look more like Daniel every day, and they were just as unruly and just as messy as Dan’s were. Max flicked his fingers through the strands, making Lukas giggle even louder and throw his hands up. Lukas never failed to make Max happy, never failed to make Max smile. Lukas’s infectious giggle caused Max to chuckle and pull Lukas down, hugging him tightly and kissing his head. 

Dan walked back into the room, singing a very off-tune rendition (but then again all of Dan’s singing is off-key) of happy birthday. Max smiled as Lukas seemed to join in, gurgling along and babbling something. Dan dropped down to sit beside Max, handing over a plate of waffles and syrup, seeing the joy in Max’s eyes when he was presented with the food. Lukas reached out, trying to grab the waffles himself, but Max quickly moved his food out the way. 

“Yeah, buddy, I love you a lot, but there’s no chance in hell I’m giving you my waffles,” Max laughed, shifting Lukas so he could lay in between himself and Dan. Lukas rolled on his back, kicking his legs up in the air and laughing loudly. 

Max and Dan looked at each other, grinning widely as their little boy continued to make them laugh. There was no better feeling than coming home after a race, especially one that had been as disappointing as Russia with Dan’s DNF and Max being unable to get past p4, and getting to just lay in bed with Lukas and hear him laugh, hear him be happy. 

“This is the best birthday,” Max murmured. Dan leant over and pressed syrupy kisses to Max’s lips.

“We’ve still got another surprise,” Dan told him. 

Max quirked an eyebrow, but Dan just shook his head. 

“You’ll find out in a bit.”

“Colour me intrigued,” Max muttered.

Dan simply grinned at him, taking his free hand and linking their fingers together over Lukas’s lap. Max leant back in the bed, shovelling his waffles in one handed and rubbing his thumb over Daniel’s knuckles with his other hand. 

If you’d have asked him last year, just before he turned 21, what he was expecting from his twenties, he’d have said partying, he’d have said drinking, he’d have said getting drunk and being unable to remember it the next morning. He’d have guessed a lot of sex with Daniel, running around paddocks and sneaking into hotel rooms and drivers rooms with each other, having fun and causing havoc across the team. There’d be fast cars and exciting opportunities. And he’d probably play a lot more FIFA into the night and be waking up at nearly midday whenever he didn’t have a race week. 

But now, he had a baby, he didn’t sleep as much as he wanted to, he often had food or baby vomit down his shirt and he’d become a master at eating one handed whilst also feeding Lukas. He also had Daniel. The one person who was fortunate enough to be on this journey of raising the beautiful child with manic curls with him. 

“So, the surprise will be here in like an hour, get up, get showered and I’ll feed this little monster!” Dan stopped talking to tickle Lukas’s tummy, making him scream with happiness, “I’ll leave you some stuff out to get changed into, and then we’ll have your surprise, okay?”

Max nodded at Daniel. He handed over his now empty plate and rolled out of bed, chucking the blanket back over Lukas which only made Lukas scream louder. Max shuffled off to the bathroom, stopping to press a kiss to Dan’s lips. Dan pulled Max down onto his lap and properly kissed him, their mouths moving lazily against each other’s as Dan ran his hand absently up Max’s leg, stopping just shy of his crotch, which Max was kinda grateful for given that their child was still in bed with them, even though said child was distracted by trying to eat his own hands again. 

“Happy birthday, baby,” Dan whispered as he hugged Max tightly to him.

“I love you.”

“Love you more, darlin’.”

Max pressed a final lingering kiss to Dan’s lips and then finally stood up, going through and showering. He took his time, letting the water cascade over him and wash away the grime of a race weekend. Dan and he had already showered when they’d got back from Russia last night, but there was nothing quite like that first shower when all the adrenaline was gone, when their routine was back to normal and they weren’t still hyped up on the rush of driving, or the rush of getting their son back in their arms. 

When the water slowly started to turn cold, Max ran his fingers through his hair one final time and then turned the shower off. The towel wrapped around his waist, Max wandered back through to the bedroom. Dan had laid out a pair of Max’s sweatpants and a t-shirt, alongside one of his own hoodies. It was one of the ones that Max always stole when he was feeling low, when his emotions hit him too hard that he just needed to disappear for a while. 

Max pulled the clothes on, the body of the hoodie brushing his thighs as he wandered bare foot to where he could hear Daniel talking to Lukas. 

He stood in the doorframe, watching Daniel as he lay on the floor, Lukas held above his head as he wiggled him around. Dan’s arm muscles were incredibly defined with the weight of holding Lukas in the air, and it just reminded Max how incredibly lucky he felt that he got to see this every day of his life. 

“Having fun?” He asked as he came to lay beside Dan, hooking himself under Dan’s outstretched arm and laying his head on Dan’s chest.

“Are you asking me or him?”

“You, I can already tell Lukas is having fun.”

“We’re going to have so much fun today, Maxy.”

“I’m already having fun,” Max told as he reached up to hold Lukas’s hand, “I never thought I’d have this much fun staying in on my birthday.”

Daniel kept quiet, keeping his eyes on Lukas and moving him back and forth, Max cuddled into his side and trying to stay awake. The doorbell going woke Max from his slight slumber and he looked up at Dan, seeing the way Dan’s eyes lit up and he shuffled to the door with a shout of ‘I’m coming!’. He handed Lukas over to Max and pulled the door open. 

“Morning, Daniel,” Sophie said as Dan welcomed her in. 

“Mama!” Max shouted, startling Lukas but quickly soothed him as Sophie wrapped her arms around him. 

“Happy birthday, my darling. Now give me my baby, and you two have fun.”

Max turned to face Dan, seeing that at some point he’d gone off and fetched a backpack and had both of their phones in his hand. 

“This is your surprise. Your mum is gonna watch Lukas for us, and we are going on a road trip. Just you, me, a lot of food, and that Aston Martin,” Dan told him, “It’s no Route 66, but I figured we can do that when Lukas is a bit older and we can make a proper trip of it.”

Max gently handed Lukas to his mum and then flung himself at Dan, wrapping his arms around his neck and hugging him tightly. 

“You’re the best,” Max told Dan which made Dan chuckle.

“Come on, we’ve got an adventure to go on.”

Max pulled some shoes and socks on, double checked that Sophie would be fine, that she knew where to find everything and that she would call them if she needed anything. When Sophie said, 

“Excuse me, but you and your sister both still have all your limbs and I raised you fine, did I not?”

Max reluctantly nodded and kissed Lukas’s head and his Mum’s cheek and then went to the door. 

“Thank you again for doing this,” Dan told Sophie, accepting a kiss on the cheek from her as he too kissed Lukas on the head. 

“Enjoy yourselves, my darlings, we have a really fun day planned ourselves, don’t we Lukas!”

Lukas gurgled in response and when his parents waved at him, he waved back. Max reluctantly followed Dan out the door, knowing that he’d be back with Lukas by the end of the day but he still worried whenever his son wasn’t with him. Dan took hold of his hand, linking their fingers together and pulling him away. 

“Come on, let’s have some fun. I’ll even let you choose the music this time!” 

Max laughed, muttering something about Dan’s god-awful taste in music and finally slid into the car. He just let the radio play, content to just sit and talk whilst Dan drove them to wherever they were meant to be going. Their hands stayed linked over the centre-console and the windows were down, meaning the wind was ruffling through Max’s hair. 

“Happy birthday, baby, I love you,” Dan murmured into his hair when they got to their destination and climbed out. They just sat on some rocks, Dan’s arm around his waist and Max’s head on Dan’s shoulder, both of them looking out at the view, just accepting the quiet and tranquillity of the day. The sea was crashing against the rocks below and there were some birds in the distance, but there was no other humans, no other people or cars or noise. 

They could just be, for a little while. 

“Love you too,” Max whispered, looking up at Daniel and smiling at him. 

If you’d have asked Max last year what he wanted for his birthday, he’d have said a lot of loud music, a lot of drink, and a lot of friends to party with.

If you’d asked Max today what he wanted, he’d say this. Some quiet, and getting to spend some time with the man he loved. 

And later, when they got home and he was able to hold Lukas in his arms and have some shitty fast food burgers for dinner and watch a movie and fall asleep in Dan’s arms, he’d hands down admit this was the best birthday he could’ve asked for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed it my pals :)
> 
> Drop us a comment, let me know what you think, I’d love to hear from you! Any and all feedback is welcome, and kudos make a dude happy :)
> 
> If you want to see more of this domestic family fluff, hit me up in the comments below and I'll be sure to provide my mediocre writing services :)


	2. The one where everything changed for the first time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Max knows something that he's not telling Dan. 
> 
> It's something that will change the course of their lives forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So enough people seemed to enjoy Happy Birthday Max that I decided to keep going. 
> 
> This does feature slight mention of disordered eating so just be aware of that if it is triggering material, make sure you take care of yourself my pals :)
> 
> I hope you enjoy my dudes :)

Max not eating wasn’t exactly uncommon, but he’d been doing so much better lately and now Daniel was scared that something had happened, causing Max to retreat into himself. But Daniel didn’t think that something had happened. He really hoped nothing had happened. 

“You okay, Maxy?”

“Hm? Oh yeah, yeah I’m fine. Why?”

“Just checking, you’re being quiet.”

“I’m fine, honestly. Just thinking about stuff, nothing to worry about.”

“Want to share?” 

Max shook his head, reached across the table and took Daniel’s hand in his. 

“I love you, Max, I want to help you.”

“It’s nothing, please, just drop it.”

Daniel looked down, watching the way Max just pushed his food around on his plate, moving the fork back and forth. Most of dinner was still on the plate. Daniel wasn’t sure he’d even seen Max take more than a couple of bites of dinner. 

“Did something happen at the garage?”

“Daniel, baby, honestly, you don’t need to keep asking what’s wrong, it’s nothing.”

“You haven’t even touched your food, what’s wrong?”

“Daniel, can you please just leave it!” Max shouted, suddenly standing and causing his chair to slam back against the floor with the force. 

Daniel watched Max’s retreating back as he stalked off to the kitchen, his untouched plate of food still waiting on the table. Just as Daniel was about to stand up, Max’s phone went off. Max rushed back to the room, quickly checked the message and bolted out of the apartment, slamming the door behind him. He watched, helpless and confused, as Max ran, phone in hand but shoeless, unable to stop him from going. Instead, Daniel rushed over to the balcony, hanging over it as he watched Max bolt out of the apartment building and into the arms of someone else.

Max’s shoulders looked like they were shaking from where Daniel was watching, not that he could properly tell with the way Max was being held. The other man pushed Max away slightly, brushing his fingers over Max’s cheeks and ruffling his hair, seemingly trying to comfort Max. Max was handed something which he put into his pocket before Daniel could tell what it was, and a final paternal head-pat was had. Max hugged the other man tightly, let the other man press a kiss to his cheek and then let go. The other man looked up at the balcony, and Daniel guessed must have told Max he was stood watching as Max swung around to look himself. Daniel stared back at him, smiling gently in what he only hoped could be a comforting look, even though he doubted Max would be able to see it from the street. 

The other man pushed Max back in the direction of the apartment building, and Max somewhat reluctantly seemed to go, even though Daniel could tell Max didn’t want to let go of the guy. Whatever the situation was, Daniel really had no idea, but he hated the fact that Max seemed unable to be able to trust Daniel with whatever was going in in his head and instead was trusting this random guy that Daniel was pretty sure he’d never seen before. He assumed it was a guy that Max worked with, maybe from the garage or maybe just a friend, but Daniel knew all of them, and none of them looked like this guy. Instead, the guy looked incredibly familiar and yet he had no idea who it was. 

Max started to make his way back apartment after some encouragement, yet Daniel stayed on the balcony, staring at the man who Max had been speaking with. Even with the distance, Daniel could tell that the man was staring back unflinchingly, almost daring Daniel to do something himself. But frankly, he didn’t care. Whoever this man was, clearly, he meant something to Max, and with the way Max had been behaving lately, he wasn’t going to risk pushing Max further away by causing a conflict about this guy. 

The door opened to the apartment, and Daniel finally left the balcony. He walked through to where Max was, bent over his backpack and shoving something in. 

“Everything okay?”

Max spun around, clearly having not noticed that Daniel was stood there. 

“Yep, everything’s fine.”

“You’ve been crying,” Dan pointed out, which caused Max to drop his gaze to his feet, “Can I at least hug you?”

Max nodded frantically, falling forward into Dan’s arms and wrapping himself around him. Dan rested his head against Max’s, cradling him and pressing gentle kisses to him. 

“Whatever the issue is, you don’t have to tell me. But it’ll be fine, you know? I love you, Maxy,” Dan whispered. 

“Love you too,” Max replied, lifting his head to press their lips together. 

Dan walked them over to the sofa and flopped down, pulling Max into his side and stroking his fingers through his hair. 

“Can I ask you something?”

Max nodded. 

“Who is the guy you was talking to?”

“Kimi, I was talking to him the other day about stuff so it’s just to do with that,” Max told him. Daniel nodded, even if he was slightly perplexed as to how Kimi and Max had ended up talking. 

“What’d he give you?” When Max gave Dan a confused look, he continued, “When he hugged you, he gave you something. It looked like it was in a box or something?”

“Oh, that,” Daniel watched as Max’s cheeks flushed and he averted his eyes to something else, which Dan knew meant Max was going to lie to him. Max couldn’t look at people when he lied. 

“It was just something I left behind, I needed it to sort some stuff out before we fly.”

Daniel nodded slowly, glad that Max was clearly doing well enough that he was still thinking about safety before the race, but mainly glad that Max seemed to not entirely lie to Dan about what it was Kimi had dropped off. Whatever it was, Max was clearly looking to Kimi for some sort of help, and as much as it hurt, he knew Max’s head could be an absolute warzone, and if Kimi was the only one that could stop that warzone from spiralling to another danger-point at this point, then Dan was prepared to deal with it. Even if it hurt. 

“Want some ice cream?” Daniel asked later on, when they’d both started to doze off on the sofa, some weird Netflix documentary playing that Max had initially been way too invested in, but had since started to fall asleep in front of. 

“Oh, fuck yeah,” Max’s eyes lit up at the idea, and pushed off Dan to go rummage for it. 

When he came back, Max held the ice cream tub possessively in his hands, resting against his chest and somewhat reluctantly handed the second spoon to Dan. They dived into the ice cream, Max back to being invested in his documentary and not taking his eyes off the screen, but still managed to shovel away an impress amount of ice cream. Not that Daniel was complaining. Whilst ice cream wasn’t exactly the most nutritious option for someone that had skipped dinner, any food was progress. 

Dan was up before Max the next morning. Max looked angelic in the light, the soft Monaco sunlight reflecting off his hair, and creating the most beautiful shadows. The sheets were wrapped clumsily around his waist, the creases from the pillows created patterns across Max’s skin, his hair fluffing up and making him look so incredibly young and peaceful. Leaving Max to sleep, Dan softly wandered through to the kitchen and set about making breakfast for the two of them. At some point, Dan heard movement and heard the shower click on, and as much as he really wanted to go join Max in the shower, he knew Max would be pissed if he burnt breakfast.

Max was still in the shower when Dan finished plating up. He walked to the bathroom and rapped his knuckles against the door.

“Breakfast, baby!”

“Okay, gimme a few minutes!” Max shouted back. Dan thought Max’s voice sounded somewhat shaky but he couldn’t tell properly. 

Dan went back and sat down at the table, flicking through his phone as he waited for Max. When Max finally joined Dan, he was swamped in one of Dan’s hoodies, the sleeves pulled down over his knuckles and the hood pulled up around his ears. Dan reached over and pulled the sleeve from Max’s hand so he could hold it. Max smiled at Dan, letting their fingers link together. They ate in silence, not once letting go of each other and exchanging smiles whenever they caught the others eye. 

Throughout the day, Max was quiet, keeping somewhat to himself and almost shying away from Dan’s touches if he tried to do anything but stroke his hair or hold his hand. 

“Maxy, are you awake?” Dan whispered when they’d gone to bed that night. Max had been picking at his dinner again, barely taking more than a few mouthfuls before pushing it away and diving to the bathroom to throw up. 

Dan had run after him, rubbing his back and wiping his mouth afterwards and fetching him water whilst Max cried, arms wrapped around himself as he sobbed. 

“Yeah, what’s up?”

“Please tell me what’s wrong. Let me help you.”

Max shook his head violently.

“I can’t, I can’t tell you.”

“Why, what’s the issue? What is so fucking hard to tell me?!” Dan sat up, pushing up so that he could look at Max.

Max curled into himself, eyes shining with tears but unable to look at Dan. 

“I can’t, I don’t want to!” Max cried as he pushed him off the bed. Dan watched Max pull some shorts on and the same hoodie of Daniel’s that he’d been wearing earlier in the day. 

“Max, what the hell are you doing?” Dan asked as Max grabbed his phone, pulling the hood up and walking out the bedroom. He followed him out, watching as Max pushed his shoes on, grabbed his keys, and once again ran out of the apartment. This time, Daniel followed him into the corridor, grabbing hold of Max’s wrist as spinning him around. Max wrestled his arm out of Dan’s grip and pushed him away. 

“Please, just fucking drop it! Leave me alone!”

“I’m not letting you run off in the middle of the night!”

“Just fucking let me go!” Max screamed, “I don’t want you! Just leave me alone!”

Max was able to get away from Dan, running, in a mirror image of the morning, out of the apartment and away from Dan. But this time, Dan didn’t follow him to the balcony, didn’t watch as Max ran off, didn’t know where Max went, and frankly, at this point, Daniel wasn’t sure if he even cared. 

Who was he kidding?

He really fucking cared and he was really fucking worried about Max. 

Dan wandered back to the apartment and into the bedroom, curling up and grabbing Max’s pillow to hug. Whatever had happened to Max, Dan didn’t know. He could only sit here and wait. Wait and hope that Max would come home. That Max would come back and he’d just tell Dan even the tiniest hint of what was going on in his head. 

The shadows fell over the bed, patterns and monsters encompassing the room, a sharp contrast to the tranquil manner the day had started in. The stars shining in the distance like everything was okay, like everything was normal. 

But it wasn’t.

Dan fell sideways onto the bed, clutching Max’s pillow tightly to his chest and letting the sobs fall from his throat. He had no idea where Max had gone, nor when Max would be coming home. He just wanted to wrap Max up in his arms, hold him tightly and stroke his hair, tell him everything was okay and just protect him from the world. Whatever had happened Daniel didn’t care. He just wanted Max to be okay.

Dan stayed up the entire night, eventually moving through to the living room and swapping between the balcony sofa and the living room sofa, waiting for Max to come home. He didn’t even dare to put the tv on, scared that he wouldn’t hear Max come home. Instead he spent the entire night just scrolling aimlessly through his phone, looking at photos of him and Max, seeing old videos and gifs of their interviews, of their time at Red Bull together, and just remembering how much fun they had, and how come the end of the season all that fun would mean nothing when Daniel moved to Renault. Remembering the day he fell in love with Max.

At some point, there was a sound from outside, something like a scratching against the lock. Dan bolted up, jumped the back of the sofa and ripped the door open. Max was fumbling at the door, trying to get his keys into the lock. 

“Maxy,” Dan breathed, reaching out to grab Max and pull him into his arms. He could feel Max stiffen beneath him, flinching away from Dan, but he didn’t push Dan away, so Dan counted that as a minor win. 

“Come here, Maxy, come sit down.” Dan pulled Max through to the sofa and pushed him down, wrapping a blanket over his shoulders and tucking it in tight. 

Max pulled it tightly around him and huddled into the sofa, almost as though he was trying to get away from Dan. Dan slumped down next to him, wrapped an arm around Max’s shoulders and pulled him into his side. Max pushed himself so he was tucked under Dan’s chin.

For a while, the two of them just sat in silence, seemingly content to just coexist for a while. Give them chance to just reconvene as the Monaco sun started to rise. Dan kept rubbing his hand up and down Max’s arm, and eventually the soothing motion seemed to have the opposite effect when Max’s sobs broke the silence of the room. 

“I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you, I just didn’t want you to leave me and I can’t lose you, but I know I have to let you go and I hate this because I love you so much but you didn’t want this and I’m just so sorry,” Max rambled between his sobs. 

“Max, baby, I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“I really didn’t mean to let it get this far, I know you don’t want this, and I don’t want you to be upset, I just-” Max stammered.

“Max! What’s wrong? What have you done?”

“I’m pregnant,” He whispered, looking down at his lap and pulling the blanket tighter around him, effectively shielding him from Dan. 

His sobs got harsher when he felt Dan let go of him and stand up, unable to watch as Dan left him, just listening as Dan walked away. 

“Here,” Dan whispered when he came back, smiling, holding the tub of ice cream they never finished and a bottle of water, “You’re eating for two now, baby, I gotta fatten you up.”

“You’re not leaving me?” Max whimpered

“Never, darling, I can’t wait to see you and our baby.”

“Our baby..” Max looked down, pressing a hand to his tummy and then grabbed Dan’s, pushing the blanket out the way and holding it there. 

He looked up at Dan, a watery smile on his face and broken cries coming out. His breath kept hitching as Dan pushed Max’s t-shirt and hoodie up, and started pressing kisses to every inch of Max’s tummy he could. 

“Hey little guy, gal, or non-binary pal, it’s nice to meet you, I’m your papa,” Dan softly said, rubbing his fingers across Max’s tummy and making Max giggle.

“You really want to do this?” Max asked later on, when Dan had shovelled breakfast down his throat and then dragged Max to bed, worshipping his body and pressing kisses to his slightly rounded tummy. 

Neither of them had bothered to dress after, just instead lying in bed, naked and sweaty bodies rubbing against each other and Dan’s tanned fingers being unable to stop rubbing across where their little baby was. 

“Of course,” Dan replied, “It’s been two years Maxy, two years of me loving you, of course I want to do this with you.”

“But I didn’t give you a choice, I forced you into this, I didn’t give you an option, I just trapped you.” Max’s words sounded parroted from someone else, and if Dan had to guess, it’d be words echoed from that prat of a ‘parent’. 

“Don’t you ever think that. You didn’t do anything wrong. We, Max, _WE_ are having a baby, not you and a reluctant me. This is our child Max, and I will do everything to give that child the best life you can imagine, I’ll sing to them, I’ll dance with them, I’ll teach them what it means to love someone unconditionally, because I love you, and I love them.”

“Kimi said you’d say that,” Max told him, almost embarrassed. 

“Kimi’s right, but then he always seems to be.”

“I told him before I told you. I didn’t really have a choice, he caught me throwing up.”

“That’s fine, as long as you’re okay. As much as it kinda hurts that you didn’t think you could tell me, I’m glad you told someone.” Dan kissed Max lightly, just brushing their mouths together, “We’re not naming the kid after Kimi though.”

Max laughed lightly at that, which made Dan smile. 

“How far along?”

“Eleven weeks, we have a scan next week.”

“We’re gonna see our baby.”

Max nodded, rubbing his fingers through Dan’s curls and imagining what the baby would look like. Would they have Dan’s unruly curls, or Max’s straight hair? Dan’s honey eyes, or Max’s blues? Max’s lips, or Dan’s nose? 

He had no idea, and frankly, he didn’t really care to know. But what he did know, was that he was going to have the most beautiful child, with the most beautiful man in the world, and whilst there was a voice in his head telling him that Dan didn’t want this, the love in his eyes with which Dan kept staring at Max’s tummy told him that he probably did. Everything was going to be okay. 

And they were going to have their baby.

And Dan was definitely going to be making sure that Max was eating enough, which he wasn’t exactly looking forward to, but he’d do it. He’d do anything for their little baby. He’d do anything for Dan, quite frankly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed it my pals
> 
> Drop us a comment, let me know what you think, I’d love to hear from you! Any and all feedback is welcome, and kudos make a dude happy :)
> 
> If there's also any kind of prompt or something that you would like me to write about, just drop it in the comments and I'd be more than happy to try and come up with something, just be prepared that ya boi often takes a prompt and runs so be prepared haha
> 
> If you want to see more of this domestic family fluff, hit me up in the comments below and I'll be sure to provide my mediocre writing services :)


	3. The one where they meet their future

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's time to meet child number 1! 
> 
> I really hope you enjoy this, it's just a short but hopefully fun and fluffy little moment of some cute dads with their cute baby. 
> 
> Enjoy my dudes:)

“He’s here,” Dan whispered, “he’s actually here.”

Max weakly smiled up at him, sweat covering his body and pure exhaustion written across his face. Their baby son was cradled against Max’s chest and he couldn’t stop looking at him. 

“He’s beautiful.”

“You both are, fuck, Max I’m so proud of you.” Daniel leant down to kiss Max, and then gently ran his fingers over his son’s head. 

“Do you have a name?” The midwife asked, “We can do little man’s id bracelet then.”

“Lukas Daniel Ricciardo. Lukas with a k,” Daniel told her, nodding when she showed him the screen to make sure it had been spelt right. 

With practiced ease, the midwife manoeuvred Lukas’s tiny leg out of his blanket and wrapped the tag around it, clipping it into place before tucking him back in. 

“I’ll leave you guys to rest, buttons just there if you need anything sweetie, enjoy spending time with your beautiful little guy.”

“Thank you, so much.” Dan held her hand for a moment, “Thank you for making sure my little boy and my partner were okay. You were amazing.”

“No problem, hun. I’ll be back later to check on Dad and baby, and we’ll do the last of Lukas’s tests then,” she told them and then finally left them. 

Daniel walked back to the bed, propping himself beside Max and wrapping his arm around his shoulder. 

“God, he looks so like you did as a baby,” Dan murmured, keeping his voice down as he looked at the slumbering baby in Max’s arms. 

“He’s gonna have your curls,” Max replied as Dan ran his fingers over the wispy few strands of hair Lukas was rocking. 

Daniel hummed in response, but just kept quiet otherwise, content to just bask in the moment of meeting their little boy for the first time. 

“Dan, can you take him?” Max asked when he felt his eyes closing for longer and longer periods of time. Daniel jumped up (albeit incredibly carefully) and took Lukas into his arms, rocking him slightly to settle him after being removed from the warmth of Max’s bare chest. 

“Sleep, love. I’ll watch Lukas, I’ll always watch you both.” Daniel promised, cradling Lukas in one arm and rubbing his fingers through Max’s sweaty and mess hair with the other. 

Max shuffled to curl around Daniel’s side, his head resting on Daniel’s shoulder and an arm loosely thrown over his waist, his fingers playing with the bottom edge of Lukas’s blanket. Daniel watched as Max’s eyes slowly started to close, fighting against it as he kept looking at their little boy. 

“Max, just go to sleep, it’s going to be okay. I’ve got Lukas.”

“But what if-”

“He’ll be okay, I’ve got him. I’ve got you, too, Maxy,” Daniel told him, smiling as he kissed Max’s head when he noticed Max had finally fallen asleep. 

A gentle knock at the door pulled Daniel out of staring at his son, just amazed that this pure, perfect, beautiful little being was finally here. 

“Hey, everything good?” Grace whispered as she poked her head through the door, her eyes focused on Lukas but flitting up every now and again to look at Daniel, before ultimately focusing back in on her newest grandson. 

“Yeah, Max is just sleeping, come meet Lukas,” Daniel whispered, motioning his mum over and seeing the sheepish grin on her face as she walked over.

“Oh Daniel, oh darling, he’s beautiful.”

“Please don’t cry mum, I can’t cry again!”

Grace didn’t reply but instead wiped her tears away.

“Do you want to hold him?”

“Give me the baby,” Grace said, making grabby hands at Lukas and then gently cradling him in her arms. “Oh Daniel, he’s perfect.”

“I don’t even care that I missed the race,” he told her, “Fuck mum, I’d miss a million races if it meant I got to hold him all day every day. I’ve only just met him and I just love him so much mum.”

“That’s being a dad, Daniel. You and Max are going to be the best fathers in the world, and this little boy is going to be the luckiest child.”

Daniel didn’t say anything. He looked down at the sleeping face of Max pressed against his chest and the identical look plastered across Lukas’s face. 

“Room for one more?” Joe asked, sticking his head round the door in the same way Grace had.

“Of course,” Daniel replied, motioning for his dad to come in. 

Joe stood behind his wife and gently ran his fingers of Lukas’s cheeks. 

“He looks like you,” Joe told him. 

“You think? I thought that he looks identical to Max.”

“That’s because you think he’s the most beautiful person on the planet, and you think the same about your son. He looks like both of you, but there’s definitely a lot of baby you in him.”

Daniel just shrugged and carried on staring at Lukas. Frankly, he couldn’t care less who Lukas looked like. Whilst he liked that there seemed to be an essence of him in there and an essence of Max, Lukas was the most unique, precious, special little boy in the world, and Daniel loved him. Lukas was healthy, Max was healthy, Daniel’s hand hadn’t been broken by Max at any point and they had a family. 

Looking down at Max, Daniel saw every beautiful little thing in him. He saw the beauty and the hardships of carrying their child. He’d seen the way in which Max had spent increasingly more time just lying in bed, either watching Netflix or playing fifa, but he always seemed to be running his fingers over his torso, feeling where Lukas could be. Daniel had watched as Max’s eyes got brighter the closer they got to meeting Lukas, the excitement of finally getting to see their son. He’d also seen the fear settling in, had held Max more times than he could count through the night when he’d woken up, crying from bad dreams or straight-up nightmares, worrying himself sick with the fear he’d be a shitty parent to Lukas, barely believing Daniel when he told him he’d be a great father. 

Max stirred against his chest some time later on, his hand automatically flying to his tummy before his sleepy brain registered that there was no longer a baby in him, and his eyes flew open, pushing himself up slightly to find Lukas. 

“Hey, it’s okay, Lukas is fine,” Daniel reassured him as he helped Max to sit up properly so he could see a sleepy Lukas snoozing in Grace’s arms. 

Grace handed Lukas over, seeing the way Max’s fingers were twitching to get his baby back in his arms. Max held Lukas against him, nosing the top of his head and breathing him in, his eyes falling closed but not in sleep, but more so in wonder this time. 

“I love you,” Daniel whispered against his cheek as he pressed a kiss there. He felt Max smile underneath him before he tilted his head to catch Daniel’s lips properly. 

“Thank you, so much. He’s so perfect,” Max replied, “I love you.”

Daniel leant forward to brush a kiss over Lukas’s head and then did the same to Max. The two of them sat in silence, watched over by Daniel's parents as they gazed lovingly at their baby.

God, it still felt weird to say that, Daniel thought. Lukas was actually here. There was no more time to prepare, he was just here. Existing. Breathing. Sleeping. 

“Are we gonna tell everyone?” Daniel asked not long later, when Grace and Joe had left, the midwife had been back to check on everything and do the last of the tests on Lukas, and they were left to just look at Lukas, laying on Max’s chest, his tiny hand gripping Daniel’s finger and his mouth open in the most adorable little way, the sun long having set and the world falling quiet around them. The world knew there was a new baby in it, and it kept quiet. Just letting the two fathers wonder at how they'd gotten to this stage. 

“Yeah, I guess so. Just do an Instagram thing or what?”

“Guess it’d be easiest, mine or yours?”

“Yours, I’m too tired to even think about it right now.”

Daniel nodded and reached behind him to grab his phone. He pulled up his Instagram and pulled his story up, flicking the camera so it faced him and Max before quietly speaking. 

“Hey everyone, soz to have missed the race today, it looked like a good ‘un, congrats to Valtteri for winning. But I feel like I had good reason to miss my home race. We got to meet the newest member of the team today,” Daniel stated, slowly panning the camera so that the top of Lukas’s head was in the shot, “Little guy decided he wanted to see the race so our new team member joined us. I’m so incredibly blessed to start this journey with Max, and we’re so in love with him already. Max and little guy are both doing great, and I’m so proud of them both.”

Daniel ended the video and they took a photo to post onto both their accounts. Daniel pulled Max to rest against his chest, his hand coming down over Max’s shoulder to be wrapped up in Lukas’s fingers. Max smiled sleepily up at the camera, Daniel looking down at both his boys with pure love and pride in his eyes, and Lukas scrunched his face up and briefly opened his eyes to look up at his dads. 

‘Lukas Daniel Ricciardo. 17.03.19.’

The photo later got reposted onto multiple driver’s accounts, everyone posting about wanting to meet the newest member of the F1 driver family and congratulating them. 

And if Kimi had instantly text Max asking if he could come meet Lukas, no one had to know.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed it my pals
> 
> Drop us a comment, let me know what you think, I’d love to hear from you! Any and all feedback is welcome, and kudos make a dude happy :)
> 
> If there's also any kind of prompt or something that you would like me to write about, just drop it in the comments and I'd be more than happy to try and come up with something, just be prepared that ya boi often takes a prompt and runs so be prepared haha
> 
> If you want to see more of this domestic family fluff, hit me up in the comments below and I'll be sure to provide my mediocre writing services :)


	4. The One where Kimi gets to meet Lukas

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Am I a dumbass who has three papers to write for university, but has somehow managed to talk themselves into trying to write as many little drabbles / fics as possible in the month of November?
> 
> Yes. Yes I am.
> 
> So, please, if you have any ideas just hit me up in the comments because lord knows I will procrastinate my uni work until the end of time and I need all the fic ideas I can get haha
> 
> But yeah, this was an idea that was in the works and then Lionbadger mentioned 'Uncle Kimi (grandpa Kimi?)' in the comments of the previous chapter and I am W E A K for protective Dad Kimi and his Favourite Son Max, so sue me. This is entirely self-indulgent and I love it
> 
> This does allude to J*s being a shit, and also Max nearly has a panic attack, but he doesn't. But yeah this does have insecure Max bc I project all my issues onto him and boi do we know I am an insecure dude so have fun Max, soz that I keep torturing you.

Max was determined that the first driver to meet Lukas would be Kimi. He’d been the first one to find out about Lukas all those months ago, before he’d even truly known that Lukas was going to happen, and it only felt fitting that Kimi come and meet him first. 

It was the day after the race, and instead of having already headed home, most of the drivers had stuck around in Australia, waiting to meet the newest Ricciardo. They’d all seen the post on Instagram, and the two men had been bombarded with messages from the other drivers on a group chat they were all in begging to meet the new baby. 

But it was Kimi that would get that privilege first. Max had always planned that it would be, but when Kimi actually text Max first asking if he could he’d been so pleased that he agreed without even consulting Daniel. 

“Are you sure you’re alright with this?” Max checked for the millionth time that day, Lukas sprawled in his bed next to Max’s, the midwife pottering around and checking different things whilst Daniel helped Max pull on a loose t-shirt and shorts, nothing that would put any pressure on him whilst he was still recovering. 

“Max, I swear, it’s fine. I really don’t care who gets to meet him first, we’ve got plenty of time to introduce him to everyone. Kimi’s been there for a lot of this, I really don’t mind that he’s meeting Lukas.”

Max nodded, still doubting Daniel slightly, but reluctant to keep pushing the issue, not wanting to start a fight whilst they were still at the hospital. 

When Kimi turned up, he knocked on the door softly before pushing it open, catching sight of Max sitting up in the bed and his leg bracketing Lukas as he lay on his back, his head resting on his fists as he just stared at Lukas. 

“Hey kid,” Kimi announced, wandering in to stand beside Max. 

“Hi, Daniel’s just off taking a phone call.”

Kimi nodded, and smiled at Max, before kneeling down to peer at Lukas. 

“He’s beautiful, Max,” He muttered, not taking his eyes off the little one as Lukas stared at up at him. 

“Yeah, he’s the best thing to ever happen, I can’t stop staring at him,” Max agreed.

“And are you alright?” Kimi asked, patting Max’s knee in the most paternal way, which almost made Max start crying.

“Yeah, it was terrifying at first, he was nearly a month early and I was panicking so much, but the doctors said he’s fine and he was delivered okay, but I’m just terrified something’s going to go wrong,” Max told him, his voice trailing off at the end as his anxiety pooled over. 

The fear after going into labour early was something he’d kept to himself, knowing that Daniel was already worried enough without Max keep panicking that something was wrong with Lukas post-partum regardless of how many medical opinions they'd been given. 

“Max, you know it’s okay to be upset and scared, right?”

“I just can’t stop thinking what could’ve happened. Dan was literally leaving to go to the race and I just started screaming, it was so scary,” Max scrunched up his face as the tears started to fall. Kimi instantly was on his feet wrapping Max in his arms and holding him tightly. 

“It’s alright kid, you’re alright, you’re going to be okay, just focus on breathing pieni.”

Max was quick to calm down, not having reached his full state of panic and luckily Kimi being there helped him to calm down. 

“There’s a kid that’s looking up at you, and he thinks you are the greatest thing to ever happen. Lukas is so lucky to have you and Daniel, and he’s okay. Stop worrying about the things that never happened, and just focus on how beautiful your son is.”

Max nodded against his shoulder and looked down at where Lukas was laying, his son staring up at him. 

“Do you think I’m gonna be a good dad?” Max whispered.

“You’re going to be the best dad there is,” Kimi confirmed, kissing Max on the temple and ruffling his hair. 

“Do you want to hold Lukas?”

“Oh, well, I don’t know.”

“Just sit down and hold him. You’ll be fine.” Max ordered, causing Kimi to smile slightly at him. 

Kimi sat down at the chair beside Max’s bed and watched as Max gently lifted his son off the bed and into Kimi’s arms, Lukas content to look up at the new face in front of him. 

“Hey kid, you really are perfect, aren’t you?”

“Yeah he is,” Daniel confirmed from where he was stood leaning against the door, smiling at his son before crossing the floor and sitting down on Max’s bed. Daniel wrapped himself around Max, pulling him back to rest against his chest and running his fingers across Max’s stomach. 

None of the men said much else, all of them just watching Lukas as he dropped off in Kimi’s arms, the gentle rocking motion putting him to sleep. 

“I hope you know that I’m going to employ you if you’re the only person who can get Lukas to go to sleep,” Daniel joked, making Kimi smile down at Lukas.

“I’ll teach you the right nap strategies, don’t you worry kid,” Kimi promised.

Max let his head rock back to rest on Daniel’s shoulder as he watched Kimi, saw the way he cradled Lukas so gently, with so much love and warmth radiating off him that it made him wonder how his own father had been so quick to disown Max upon finding out about Max’s own sexuality when he’d finally opened up about dating Daniel.

“I know I haven’t always been a good driver to you,” Max began, startling Kimi and Daniel who’d both thought he’d fallen asleep, “And I’m sorry. I really am. But I just wanted to say thank you. For everything.”

“Max-”

“No seriously. If you hadn’t have called me out on it I don’t even know if I would’ve ever entertained the idea that I was pregnant, let alone have taken the test. I’ve not always had the best guidance in terms of having a dad, and I’m terrified that I won’t be a good dad.”

“Maxy,” Daniel whispered, pressing a kiss to Max’s cheek.

“But you’ve taught me a lot, and I know we’ve joked about it a lot, but you’ve been more of a dad to me since I joined F1 than my real father ever has been, and I’ve learnt a lot from you, and I just, I’m grateful you know? So yeah,” Max powered on, blushing as he finished talking and pulling the fabric of the bed sheets between his fingers nervously. 

He knew that he was still a baby in the paddock, even with the new addition of the rookies, especially Lando who was an actual child, and sometimes he did feel embarrassed by the way the older drivers took him under their wing and protected him. But everything he said to Kimi was true. 

Max felt his hair get brushed back from his forehead and a gentle kiss pressed there. He looked up and saw Kimi smiling fondly at him, Lukas having been passed over to Daniel and his arms ready to hold Max. 

“You are the best kid there is, and Lukas is so lucky to have you,” Kimi told him, hugging the boy that had become a son to him tightly. 

Max felt the tears build up but none fell. For once, he wasn’t upset. No matter how much this black cloud that hung over him threatened to fall and remind him just how shitty his father had been, he knew that the paddock was his family, Kimi more than prepared to be a father to Max, and seventeen other guys were constantly blowing up his phone begging to come meet his and Daniel’s son. 

And he had Daniel, who was arguably the most important member of his family. He’d been the one to pull Max away from his father, to teach him what it’s like to be loved unconditionally and showed him what it’s like to feel love and not fear. 

“Tell me whenever you want a day off, I’d be more than happy to look after Lukas for you both,” Kimi told them, breaking Max out of his head and pulling him back to the hospital room. 

“Thanks, man, appreciate it. We’ll definitely call you up on that some time,” Daniel agreed.

Max took Lukas into his arms and held him tightly, just imagining what the future would hold. He really had no idea how to care for a baby, but it was going to be okay. Him and Daniel would struggle through it together, and they’d raise this little boy and they’d be okay. It was going to be okay. 

\----------

“Kimi, coming to you now. We saw the photo on Instagram of you meeting little Lukas Ricciardo, what was it like being the first driver to meet him?” Kimi was asked in Bahrain at the press conference. 

“He’s sweet. Sleeps good. Quiet, unlike Daniel.”

Daniel laughed and knocked his fist against Kimi’s shoulder, as everyone else in the room laughed and Kimi smile slightly. 

“Aw, you’re such a sweet Grandpa to him! We love Grandpa Kimi in the Ricciardo household!” Daniel joked, causing Kimi to glare at him, which only made Daniel laugh more. 

“You’re a bad boyfriend to my son, I’m telling him to break up with you,” Kimi deadpanned, which only had Daniel laughing more and falling off the chair.

Max sat laughing from his place at home, watching the way Kimi and Daniel were interacting and laughing through the livestream. He missed it, he missed being there in the paddock and smelling the petrol and the noise and the cars and the drivers. But when he looked to the side and saw Lukas fast asleep, he knew that it was going to be fine. Lukas was nearly two weeks old by the time Daniel had flown over to Bahrain. And he still had a lifetime to go with this kid, and when Daniel came home after the race, the smell of the paddock clinging to his skin regardless of how much he showered, Max wouldn’t even mind missing the race seeing as Daniel would bring it home with him. Max would be back after the summer break, but until then, he had a lot of fun to look forward to with Lukas. And he was going to come back fighting, proving that his son was the best motivator there was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed it my pals
> 
> Drop us a comment, let me know what you think, I’d love to hear from you! Any and all feedback is welcome, and kudos make a dude happy :)
> 
> If there's also any kind of prompt or something that you would like me to write about, just drop it in the comments and I'd be more than happy to try and come up with something, just be prepared that ya boi often takes a prompt and runs so be prepared haha
> 
> If you want to see more of this domestic family fluff, hit me up in the comments below and I'll be sure to provide my mediocre writing services :)


	5. The one where the other drivers get to meet Lukas

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh boy this is a long one. 
> 
> It's pretty self-explanatory what's going to happen in this one, it's literally just every driver on the 2019 grid meeting Lukas. 
> 
> One thing I will address is that I haven't actually figured out who is in Max's seat for the first half of the season, bc I refuse to write in Sebastien Buemi even though I know he's the test driver bc I don't like him and Pierre deserves a good teammate so we're just gonna kinda pretend that there is someone there lol. Headcanon it as whoever you want, personally I think I've put Mitch Evans in the seat but that's just bc I'm an absolute hoe for him at the minute, so just imagine whoever you like :)
> 
> Also, look at me! Two days in a row updating, you are as surprised as I am. 
> 
> Same thing as yesterday though, I'm trying to do some weird compromised Nanowrimo in which I instead just upload as many times as I can in November so if you have anything that you'd like to see, even if it involves an older Lukas (or another child(ren) that may or may not exist in this universe that you don't know about yet) just hmu and I'll provide :)

**\--- Val and Seb and Kimi ---**  
Upon finding out that Kimi had met Lukas more than once since his birth, the first thing Sebastian did was bug Daniel to ask when he would get to meet Lukas. And, of course, where Seb was, Kimi wasn’t far behind, especially when Lukas was involved. 

“Come over tomorrow, we’re going home from the hospital today, so you can come meet him,” Daniel promised, which Seb was quick to agree on. 

When Seb turned up the next morning, Kimi and Valtteri in tow, he couldn’t stop bouncing on his heels, his wide eyes instantly looking at Daniel’s arms and his expression dropping when he noticed Lukas wasn’t in them. 

“Max is just finishing feeding him, they’ll be down in like five minutes. Drink?” Daniel asked, escorting the men through to the kitchen. He looked back and noticed Kimi had vanished, probably having wandered off to find Max and check on them both. 

Valtteri agreed to an espresso, which surprised no one, and Seb just took some water, already too excited to warrant anymore caffeine. Seb went back through to the front room, leaving Valtteri and Dan in the kitchen.

“How’s it been?” Valtteri asked as they leaned against the counter.

“Tiring, but so good. He’s so cute.”

“Max alright?”

“Yeah, he’s absolutely knackered, and he says that everything aches, but it’s only been a week so it’s to be expected. Hardest thing has been trying to get him to just take it slow, he kinda thinks he’s got to do everything to prove to people he’s a good dad, but he is and I don’t know why he’s stressing about it.” Daniel complained, scrubbing his hands over his face and through his curls, leaving them sticking up manically around his head. 

When he pulled his hands away, he saw Valtteri’s concerned expression, and shook his head. 

“It’s nothing, it’s just his anxiety, you know what he’s like. Anyway, the baby, that’s what you’re here for.” 

Daniel passed Valtteri his coffee and they walked through to front room, where Kimi had reappeared to and Sebastian was sat waiting. Max was making his way down the stairs, little Lukas held in his arms and a tired expression on his face. 

Sebastian almost started bouncing when he caught sight of Max and Lukas, Kimi’s hand on his knee the only thing keeping him grounded. 

“Hey, sorry it took a while, Lukas decided to throw up so I had to change him,” Max apologised but otherwise sat down on the sofa beside Sebastian. 

Sebastian barely even noticed, his fingers coming up to gently run over Lukas’s cheeks. 

“He’s so soft,” He whispered, barely taking his eyes off Lukas. 

Max smiled sleepily at them and handed Lukas over. Sebastian held Lukas gently, gasping when Lukas opened his eyes and stared at him. Valtteri leant against Seb’s side as he smiled at Lukas, reaching out his hand for Lukas to grab hold off. The two men smiled at the tiny boy, but the room was silent aside from their breathing and Lukas’s occasional gurgle.

Seb eventually handed Lukas over (incredibly reluctantly, everyone noticed) to Valtteri, although he was leaning straight into Valtteri’s side himself and staring at Lukas. When Daniel looked over at Kimi, he saw the fond look he was giving Seb, the pure love in his eyes at the sight of his boyfriend interacting with the kid that had come to be seen as his grandchild. Max was tucked into Daniel’s side, his arm around Daniel’s waist as he exchanged soft words with Valtteri whenever he wasn’t distracted by Lukas. 

“You’ve got a really cute kid here,” Valtteri told him, rubbing his fingers over Lukas’s tiny wisps of hair and making the baby yawn. 

“It’s all Daniel, he’s just got my eyes.”

“The beauty in him is all you, darlin’,” Daniel interrupted, stopping Max from falling down that self-deprecating, self-hatred hole. 

“Agree to disagree,” Max compromised and rolling his eyes. He briefly looked up and said “what the fuck” when Kimi smacked his shoulder. 

“Stop being mean to yourself. You’ve got a kid and we’ve been through this a million times already. Your body did something amazing, don’t keep acting like it’s nothing.”

Sebastian gently got up from his spot next to Valtteri and propped himself on the arm of the sofa beside Kimi, wrapping his arms around his neck and kissing his cheek, knowing that otherwise Kimi would keep going and Max would only get more and more red. Max did look somewhat bashful, but Daniel knew it was more just due to being reprimanded rather than because he regretted what he said. 

“Hey… so seeing as Lukas is asleep on me, am I staying for dinner?” Valtteri asked, breaking the tension in the room and making Max laugh. 

“It’s going to be pizza,” Max told them, but when the three men agreed he just shrugged and handed his phone to Daniel to place the order. 

He was still going to milk being able to eat whatever he wanted for a while, and he wanted pizza. Sue him.

**\--- Charles and Pierre ---**  
The next ones to meet Lukas were Charles and Pierre. 

Max and Daniel had waited until Lukas was nearly a month old to fly back to Monaco. Neither of them was looking forward to such a long-haul flight with a new-born, but the doctors gave them the go-ahead to fly, and the prospect of getting to be back to their proper home was more than appealing, so they’d committed to it. Thankfully, Lukas had been pretty good on the flight and they’d been able to settle back into life in Monaco almost instantly. It seemed like Daniel had to jet off to China almost instantly after arriving home in Monaco, and as much as Max missed Daniel, getting to sleep in their own bed kinda made up for it. Even if it would’ve been so much better with Daniel beside him. 

Daniel had been home for a couple of days, the three of them just enjoying being together again, taking Lukas for gentle walks around the streets in his pram and getting used to how their lives were different now. They weren’t expecting anyone to turn up at their door, which is why they were both still dressed in their scruffy clothing way into the afternoon. 

Daniel answered the door and was somewhat surprised to be met by Charles and Pierre.

“Hey, I just thought we’d bring by a present for le bébé,” Charles awkwardly stated, shuffling his feet and looking like he regretted coming here. 

“Hey Max,” Pierre interrupted, waving at what should’ve been his teammate over Daniel’s shoulder. 

Daniel snapped back to the situation and welcomed the two drivers into their apartment, Pierre walking in way more confidently than Charles. Pierre wandered over to the couch, laughing at the way Lukas had been propped up against the cushions so he looked like he was sat up watching the tv and dropped a present on the coffee table. 

“Bonjour, petit, it’s good to meet you,” Pierre murmured, taking Lukas’s tiny fingers in his own and shaking them ever so slightly, before he addressed Max, “You good?”

“Yeah, it’s going alright. How’s the team been?”

“Eh,” Pierre shrugged, “Waiting for you to come back I guess.”

Max frowned at the resigned tone in Pierre’s voice, making a mental note to check in on him more often, and to also have a word with Red Bull about Pierre. He knew that Pierre was struggling to adjust to the new car, but he still was doing alright. 

“Charles, you can go near him, he won’t combust if someone else looks at him,” Daniel jest, pushing Charles forward towards Lukas, which only had Charles go wide-eyed and shake his head. 

“No, it’s okay, I can see him here.” 

Max turned around and stared at Charles. 

“Don’t be a little bitch, just come and say hello.”

Charles walked round the sofa and squatted in front of Lukas, smiling gently at the way Lukas tracked him with his eyes and gave a barely-there smile. 

“I can’t believe we were once this small,” Charles murmured.

“You still are that small,” Daniel joked, making Charles glare at him, but, ultimately, he got distracted before the full effect of the glare was there. 

Charles dropped his head to rest against Pierre’s shoulder, closed his eyes and whispered, 

“Jules me manqué.”

Max looked over at Daniel, saw the same dejected look he knew was mirrored on his own face, and then turned away as tears sprung to his eyes. He’d never cared about Charles, obviously he felt sorry for the guy after everything he’d been through, but he didn’t care. But since becoming a father, he understood what it was like to have someone to love unconditionally, and the prospect of losing him was mind-numbing. 

None of the four men said anything more. Daniel reached over and ran his fingers through Charles’s messy hair and Charles leant into the touch. Nothing needed to be said. They all knew what, instead, was being thought. As happy as they were with the new paddock addition, they all knew there was a bright star out there watching over the little one. 

Jules would’ve simply loved Lukas. 

And that was okay. 

**\--- Dany ---**  
It was when Daniel and Max were doing a food shop that Dany got to meet Lukas. Lukas was laying in the baby trolley seat, Daniel leant over the handlebar and arguing with Max over whether they needed more peanut butter. 

“Just buy him peanut butter, save arguing for later,” Dany told Daniel as he dropped a tub into his own basket. Kelly immediately walked over to Lukas, pushing her long brown hair behind her ears as she bent over Lukas. Lukas looked up at her and offered his little smile, making Kelly laugh at him.

Dany joined his girlfriend, watching the way her eyes lit up at the baby. 

“Not long now till that’ll be yours,” Daniel nudged Dany with his elbow. Dany smiled at the way his girlfriend fawned over Lukas, chatting quietly with Max about how the birth was, how Lukas was doing, and just anything else to expect. 

“Three months,” Dany agreed. Three months and their little princess would be here, and he’d be the doting father he couldn’t wait to be. Seeing Daniel with his own little one only further excited Dany, he couldn’t wait to get that same euphoric feeling and look that Daniel seemed to have every single day. 

“Get ready for sleepless nights!”

Dany laughed at Daniel, but both men knew that they’d take a million sleepless nights if it just meant getting to spend time with their child. 

“If you ever need someone, just lemme know,” Daniel murmured, “Even if it’s just a 3am call of ‘I don’t know what I’m doing’, because I’ve been there, and it’s scary raising a tiny human, but we’ve kept Lukas alive for a month now, so I’m basically an expert on raising kids.”

“Thanks, man.”

Daniel smiled at Dany one more time, before Dany said a quick hello to Lukas, wrapped his arm around Kelly’s waist and said their goodbyes to the fellow drivers. As much as Dany resented Max for taking his seat back in 2016 and taking his friend’s attention from him, he could readily admit that Max and Daniel becoming teammates was the best things to come out of Formula 1 in the last few years. Max was a brat, there was no way Dany was going to deny that, but when he saw the way Daniel looked at Max, and the way Daniel had helped morph Max into the best driver he could be, he did feel proud of his friend. 

That and the fact that they genuinely did have a really cute kid and Dany was thankful that Daniel had something good in his life. He deserved a good life. It wasn’t like Renault was giving him one. 

**\--- Lewis ---**  
Of course Nico Rosberg was incapable of keeping his _fucking_ mouth shut, Max thought as he scrolled through his twitter feed, seeing countless mentions of some shitty video he’d done on whether Max had only had his kid because Red Bull couldn’t win the championship. And as much as Max wanted to post some indirect, or frankly really direct, comment about Nico’s general shittiness and his lack of commitment that saw him leave F1 after only just winning, he really couldn’t be bothered. 

Maybe Lukas was making him go mellow. 

Lukas was laying on Max’s chest, smiling to himself and gurgling as he kept lifting his head and shoulders up, drawing Max’s attention to his son. Max had his hand splayed protectively across Lukas’s back, holding him in place so he didn’t roll off, considering that Lukas’s latest trick involved him trying to do some form of weird little push up, and inevitably slipping and nearly rolling off whatever he was on. 

Max pulled his lip between his teeth and looked down at Lukas, his mind running as he thought through a plan. Before he could change his mind, Max flicked to the camera, taking a short video of Lukas pushing himself up and down and gurgling, and then opened the video on Instagram. He quickly added some text, saying ‘Working on arm and neck day so we can get ready for the championship battle #KeepPushing’ and posting it before he changed his mind. 

Never mind, Lukas hadn’t made him go mellow.

He didn’t think about the video until much later, when Daniel had finally returned from Azerbaijan and they were curled up in bed. Max was close to falling asleep on Daniel’s chest, Lukas was fast asleep in his crib, and Daniel was scrolling through his phone. Max’s eyes had just fallen closed when he felt Daniel’s chest vibrate with laughter. Shifting his head so he could look up at Daniel, he saw that the video of Lukas from earlier was playing but it had been posted onto someone’s story. 

“What?” Max questioned.

“Lewis,” Daniel explained, “He’s back to throwing shade at Rosberg, it’s funny.”

Max reached up and took Daniel’s phone from his hand, flicking back onto Lewis’s story and seeing that he’d added his own caption alongside Max’s.

_Probably one of the best teammates you could have. A baby would still whine less than a 1xWDC_😂

“Text him and say he can come meet Lukas if he wants to piss Rosberg off more,” Max shrugged, knowing that now he’d put the idea in Daniel’s head that he’d be all over it. And sure enough, he heard the familiar frantic tapping of Daniel’s fingers hitting the screen and the familiar whoosh as the message was sent almost instantly. 

Max had been so damn close to falling asleep _again_ when the sound of an incoming message startled him awake.

Hammer-Time   
  
Come over and meet Lukas tomorrow lets create the ultimate video and knock Nico off his youtube cloud   
  
Be there at 11  


And sure enough, Lewis did turn up at 11am, brandishing a bag with a present in for Lukas.

“Thought that we have to start him out strong, getting him into a good clothing line,” Lewis joked, handing the bag over to Max. Max pulled a box out, quickly undid the wrapping paper and just instantly laughed, causing Daniel to pop his head out of the bedroom and look at the box Max had thrown him. Lewis had given them a tiny black stripped Tommy Hilfiger outfit set, complete with a bib, tiny shoes and a soft looking top and trouser combo. 

“I’m so putting Lukas in this right now,” Daniel announced, wandering back to Lukas and dressing him before bringing him out to meet Lewis. 

Lewis instantly held out his arms for Lukas, tucking Lukas protectively against his chest and grinning at the little Ricciardo.

“Oh man, he’s a stunner for sure, his hair is amazing!”

“Yeah it’s come in so fast, it’s adorable,” Daniel agreed.

Lewis stayed for a while, hanging out with Daniel and Max, talking about everything and nothing, and getting distracted by Lukas, which was inevitable. He shimmied his phone out of his pocket and saw that Daniel had somehow taken a photo of him and Lukas and sent it to him, which he knew was going straight on his Instagram.

_Hanging with the next world champion! Meeting this little guy reminds you just how much the world is changing and I can’t wait to battle this guy’s Dads for the world championship! Lukas, you’re a great little guy, Max, I’ll see you on the grid in August, let’s have a good fight!_

And if Nico Rosberg noticed that Lewis was back on his bullshit of winding him up, Lewis didn’t notice. Lukas was too distracting. 

**\--- Nico ---**  
Daniel may lowkey hate Renault, but Nico was alright and he didn’t mind hanging out with him. 

Daniel had decided to take Lukas out, leaving Max in bed asleep with everything ready for him to whack some cereal in a bowl and have some breakfast should he wake up before Daniel returned. 

Lukas was placed in his pram and Daniel took him wandering around Monaco, the April weather warm but not hot. Nice enough that Daniel was in shorts, but he still placed a lightweight blanket over Lukas just in case. He kissed Max’s forehead and left him to sleep, a note left on the side saying that he was taking Lukas out for an early morning stroll around Monaco. Lukas was laying on his back, looking up at his Papa and staring at the clouds. Daniel couldn’t take his eyes off him. They’d had Lukas for over a month, but Daniel was still fascinated by him, just seeing the way this tiny human was growing and resembling Max and him more and more every day. 

As Daniel wandered round Monaco, he couldn’t help but let his mind wander to how different things were. A couple months prior, they’d been in Australia, waiting to meet their little boy, but now here he was. His kid in his hands and a lack of sleep in his system, but he loved it. Speaking of a lack of sleep though, he could really do with a coffee, and so Daniel made his way towards a coffee shop he frequented a lot with Max, and now it was going to be something he did with Lukas. 

Once the coffee was acquired, he posted a photo on his Instagram, captioning it as ‘while daddy sleeps, papa buys coffee’. Lukas has been picked up out of his pram and was sat on Daniel’s knee, leaning back against his chest and his tiny hands reaching out for the coffee cup. It was way out of his reach, but it made Daniel laugh so he was posting it. 

“If you give him that coffee he’s going to have more energy than you ever could.”

Daniel looked around at the source of the voice, and grinned when he saw Nico stood behind him, Zeus’s lead in hand. 

“Hey man, you joining?”

Lukas was staring at Zeus, his bright blues fascinated by the ball of fluff that was the dog. 

Nico nodded and pulled out the chair opposite, Zeus content to curl up at his feet and relax. 

“Where’s Max?”

“Left him in bed, he’s exhausted. So, me and Lucky have come for a walk, haven’t we bud?” Daniel told him, bouncing Lukas gently.

“Lucky? You’re already nicknaming him?”

“Max is making him bilingual, I’m making him confused on his own name, it’s fine, it’s how we roll, baby.”

Nico laughed and reached across the table to take Lukas’s hand in his. In Hulk’s hand, Lukas’s looked even smaller. 

“How many times have people said ‘he’s so small’?”

“Every single person to meet him has said that,” Daniel shrugged, “It’s alright though, I can’t get over him. I don’t know if I ever will.”

Nico smiled softly at his teammate. Daniel knew that Nico was aware of his issues with Renault, and that had they known Max was pregnant way earlier than they did, Daniel would’ve never left Red Bull to sign the contract with Renault. But he did, and Lukas had still happened, and it was alright. It just wasn’t great. 

“He keeps you going, don’t he?” Nico noted.

“Can’t be pissed all the time when you’re coming back to this smiley little laddie every day.”

Daniel took another sip of his coffee, careful to avoid Lukas’s head as he lifted the takeaway cup. 

“Do you want a cuddle with Uncle Nico buddy?” Daniel asked Lukas, who admittedly was still fascinated with Zeus. 

Nico grinned and made sure Zeus’s lead was attached to the chair properly, so he could hold Lukas without the addition of Zeus’s lead. Daniel lowered Lukas into Nico’s arms and watched as Nico instantly started speaking Dutch to Lukas. Whilst Daniel was very much aware that Lukas didn’t really understand the language, Max had spent so much of the pregnancy talking Dutch at his bump, and even now he spoke Dutch to Lukas whenever they were alone, and Lukas definitely was able to recognise the sounds that Nico was making, his eyes almost lighting up at the reminder of his daddy. 

“I’m just gonna go fetch Max a drink, if you’re alright holding him?” Daniel asked, but he knew with the look on Nico’s face that he could probably leave him with Lukas for the next few hours and it would be completely fine.

When Daniel returned, less than two minutes later, he looked down at Lukas and saw him fast asleep in Nico’s arms, Nico humming some nursery rhyme Daniel was pretty sure he’d heard Max’s singing to Lukas most nights as he fed him. 

“You and Kimi are both able to get him to sleep in minutes, what the hell?” 

Nico smirked at Daniel, but stood up to place Lukas back into his pram.

“Is he going to come to the races?”

“When he’s a bit older. It was hard enough flying back to Monaco from Australia, we’ll wait until he’s older or we’ll just road trip a lot of the Europe races.”

“We’ll get him a little racesuit,” Nico joked.

Daniel shrugged and nodded, 

“Guess he’s gotta wear the right thing.”

“You’ll be back in blue before you know it, mate.” Nico placed his hand on Daniel’s shoulder and patted him gently. 

Daniel nodded slightly but didn’t really smile.

“You better get on anyway, get back to that boyfriend of yours and get that coffee into him.”

Daniel appreciated that Nico was giving him a way out and he quickly clapped hands with him and man-hugged him briefly. 

“We’ll get you fluent in Dutch before you know it,” Nico promised Lukas which only made Daniel laugh. 

“Teach my kid what you want, but teach him to swear and Max will kill you.”

“We won’t have you completely fluent until you’re a bit older, maybe when you’re about six we’ll teach you.”

Daniel smiled and shook his head.

When Daniel got home, Lukas was just waking up again and getting fussy for his feed. But he left him in the pram and went to wake Max up instead, taking the lid off the tea and wafting it near his nose. Max instantly perked up and reached out for the drink, kissing Daniel quickly and reaching out for the tea. Daniel went back and brought Lukas through to Max, helping Max to sit up comfortably and then passed Lukas over so he could feed whilst Max drank his tea.

“Nico’s gonna teach Lukas how to swear in Dutch.”

“No, he fucking isn’t,” Max responded, which Daniel had to admit he found pretty ironic. Max had no issue swearing in English in front of Lukas, but Dutch swearing was out of bounds? 

He never would understand the guy he was going to spend the rest of his life with. Not that he’d proposed yet, he was waiting until Lukas could hold things properly and wouldn’t instantly try and shove it down his throat to propose to Max. Lukas had to help him out with that. 

**\--- Carlos and Lando --- **  
“Can I pleeeeeeeease meet Lukas?” Lando had begged through the mic one night whilst they played FIFA. 

“Yeah, of course, I don’t know when you’ll get chance though,” Max agreed, never once taking his eyes off the screen as his players kicked the ball around, Lando barely able to keep up as Max scored yet another goal. 

“You’re in Monaco! Just come to the next race! I want to meet him!” 

Max rolled his eyes even though he knew Lando couldn’t see him. 

“I’m not just going to fly him to Spain so you can hold him for five minutes. Just wait until the Monaco race, it’s only another three weeks, man.”

“I don’t wanna wait that long!” He whined.

“Hang on a sec you little baby,” Max told Lando, pulling his headset off and quickly sorting why Lukas was fussing, the little boy having been laying bracketed between his legs whilst Max played. “I swear you whine more than Lukas ever will.”

“I WANT BABY CUDDLES!”

Max rolled his eyes and carried on the game, letting the sounds of Lando’s complaining just flow over him and ignoring the continuous wining. 

But Lando got his wish and when Monaco rolled around he was welcomed over to come and meet the baby. Max had stayed at home during the race, Monaco just too busy of a race for him to want to venture out with Lukas into, the paddock too busy and the people too loud, and he didn’t want to upset Lukas, so they stayed on their balcony and watched what they could see from there. 

Max was kind of worried that Lando would be down after the race, having landed just outside of the points, whilst his teammate had had yet another good race, but clearly the prospect of hanging out with someone that was, for once, smaller than him had Lando in a good mood. Max and Lukas were still hanging out on the balcony when Daniel rocked up home with the two McLaren drivers, Lukas laying on his back on his playmat whilst Max was trying to respond to messages but not getting very far before being distracted by Lukas gurgling at the toys above his head, still amazed at everything he did even though he seemed to spend all his time just watching Lukas exist. 

“He’s so small!” Lando announced as they walked in, not even giving Daniel a chance to tell Max they were there before he was laying down next to Lukas, his head resting on the mat beside him and staring in wonder at the tiny human. 

Carlos laughed at his young teammate, finding the way that Lando was absolutely enamoured with Lukas within two seconds of meeting him incredibly adorable. Daniel said nothing, just crossed the floor to sit down beside Max and kiss him gently. 

“Hey, congrats on getting some points,” Max told him, which Daniel just shrugged at. 

“Eh, it was fine. Not as good as last year.”

Max leant into Daniel’s side, content to just rest slightly whilst Lando was preoccupied with the baby, knowing they’d talk about the race later once they got Lukas to bed. Lando squealed when Lukas cooed and grabbed Lando’s fingers, pulling them and playing with them.

“He’s so cute, I want him. Can I have him?”

“Deal with him at three in the morning and then ask me again if you can still have him,” Max told him, but he knew it was an empty threat. Lando may be the paddock baby, but he adored kids and Max knew it. He knew that Lando must have been dying inside that it had taken two months until he even got to meet Lukas.

“Mi vida, leave him alone, don’t agitate him,” Carlos warned, but Lando just waved his free hand at him. 

“He’s okay, he’s just playing, aren’t you, cutie? Yeah you are, you know you’re gonna get away with murder from your Uncle Lando, don’t you? Yeah you are!” He cooed, making Max and Daniel laugh. 

“Lando, come on, sit up, I’ll let you hold him,” Daniel told him, kicking at Lando’s legs to make him sit up. 

Lando instantly was up, climbing into Daniel’s vacated seat and holding his arms out for the baby. Carlos sat beside him, his arm coming down around Lando’s back and resting underneath the arm that was holding Lukas. 

“You look good with a baby,” Max heard Carlos whisper, catching Daniel’s eyes and giving him a look that said ‘did you know about this?’ when Carlos pressed a kiss to Lando’s neck. Daniel shook his head slightly and shrugged. 

Clearly the baby of the paddock was going to need a talk, otherwise Lukas would most likely be getting a new playmate soon. And Max didn’t know if the world could deal with a Ricciardo baby and a baby with Lando’s energy existing at the same time. 

**\--- Alex and George ---**  
The first race they decided to take Lukas to was France. They’d been offered a helicopter, but instead, like idiots, they decided to drive the entire journey. Their first official road trip as a family. It was going to be a more than two hour ride, but Max loved being back behind the wheel, pushing the Aston Martin just a bit less than he normally would, but there was precious cargo riding in the back (who had slept the entire time, Max couldn’t help but be thankful for) and so he held back just enough that he still got the thrill of driving. And having the most beautiful man in the world in the passenger seat, gazing longingly at him and their fingers linked over the centre console, just made the ride that much better. 

Once they actually got into the paddock on Thursday, Lukas had a tiny pair of sound-cancelling headphones pressed over his ears, the Red Bull logo emblazoned on the side, and a Red Bull romper on. Max had one hand wrapped around Lukas’s carseat and the other was being held by Daniel. They walked through the paddock together, the press flocking to them, which was to be expected, but Lukas didn’t seem to mind and instead he stayed asleep. Instead of going to the garages, they went through to the drivers briefing room, knowing that there was a number of drivers that were dying to see Lukas, so going to the room would be the easiest way of Lukas meeting them all. 

“Wow, finally there’s someone in the paddock that’s smaller than Lando,” Alex joked as himself and George walked towards the family, being the first two to enter the room. 

“Give Lukas a couple of weeks, Lando will soon be outgrown.” George knelt down in front of Lukas’s seat and tickled Lukas’s tummy. Lukas batted his hands at George and started trying to grab him, making the Brit laugh and keep moving his hands out of Lukas’s reach just slightly. Lukas gurgled and cooed, and George’s grin just got brighter. 

“He’s so adorable,” Alex murmured. 

Max laughed softly and knocked Alex with his shoulder,

“You talking about my son or George, Alex?”

Alex went red and looked down at his feet, shuffling awkwardly. George didn’t seem to notice, still fascinated by Lukas and not taking note of Alex or Max. 

“If I say George will you leave me alone?”

“Probably not,” Max shrugged, “But you should ask him out. You never know what the world has in store. I never expected Daniel to even look at me, and here we are with a kid. Just try it, Al, if he says no you can always take Lukas instead. He’ll sit and watch you cry and he won’t tell anyone.”

Max knew the moment that Alex clicked that the ineffable Max Verstappen wasn’t as strong and emotionless as everyone seemed to think. 

“You don’t know what’s coming in life, Alex, just fuck it and do what you want. Anyway, do you wanna hold Lukas?”

Alex nodded slowly and took a seat, George immediately flying into the seat beside him and watching as Lukas was lowered into Alex’s arms. Max dropped the headphones from Lukas’s ears and watched at the two rookies fawned over his kid, whispering quietly between themselves and laughing softly at Lukas’s determination to grab hold of George. They were two of the young drivers that Max knew had experience with little kids, George having two nephews and Alex having younger siblings, and so he wasn’t surprised that they were both incredibly comfortable with the baby. 

Max leant back into Daniel as his arms came around his waist, Daniel’s head resting on his shoulder and looking at their little boy in the arms of two of the youngsters of the paddock. 

“He truly is the luckiest little boy in the world,” Daniel murmured.

“It makes it easier, knowing that there’s people that will love him even if not everyone in my family will,” Max replied. His mum and sister loved Lukas, but Lukas was three months old now and he’d heard basically nothing from the rest of his family. 

But frankly, Max didn’t think he cared. Lukas was happy and he had a fuckton of Uncles (and a grandpa Kimi) looking out for him, all of them loving and adoring him. And if the way George and Alex kept looking at each other, Max knew that Lukas would still have a lot of incredibly good and healthy relationships to look up to as he grew up. 

**\--- K-Mag and Romain ---**  
The Haas boys were next to come in, neither of them saying anything as they walked in a companionable silence. Upon seeing Max was there, Kevin walked over and awkwardly smiled at him, choosing to focus on little Lukas and smiling. 

“He’s grown since that Instagram post,” Kevin told him which made Max laugh. 

The two hadn’t ever really interacted, but they got along fine, having somewhat bonded over the years due to the reputation they’d both received for being ‘paddock bad-boys’. 

“He’s three months now, not three hours. He’s definitely grown a bit,” He agreed. Kevin smiled and softly brushed his fingers over Lukas’s little curls. 

“Need you back on the track, it’s getting boring without you.”

“Romain’s doing a good job of keeping everyone entertained with how often he’s crashed into the barriers, you’re doing fine without me.”

Romain guffawed but with Lukas in Max’s arms there was nothing he could do. Kevin laughed and after shaking Lukas’s little hand he wandered off to grab a drink. Romain stared at Max, which only caused Max to stare back unwaveringly. He knew that it was a bit of a dick-move comment, but Romain was the first to cause an issue and it was just fun at this point to wind him up. 

It had been a while since Max was truly able to piss someone off. He kinda missed it. Maybe he should come to more races.

**\--- Antonio ---**  
Max decided to take Lukas on a walk round the paddock whilst Daniel did some media work. He ended up going towards Alfa Romeo, knowing that for one, they had the good coffee up that way, and for seconds, Kimi would probably be around and he was not going to spend his weekend getting told off by Kimi for not visiting sooner. It just so happened that when Max even stepped within ten meters Kimi was popping his head out of the motorhome and ushering Max in, lifting Lukas into his arms and pushing Max into a chair. 

“Take a break, I have things to show him.”

Max nodded dumbly and let Kimi just take his child from him. It was only as Kimi walked off around the corner that Max realised what had happened, but he was somewhat thankful for the rest and instead he just sunk down into the chair and closed his eyes, pulling his hoodie up around his head and just taking the chance to rest. 

He didn’t know how long he’d been asleep, but when Max opened his eyes there was a blanket wrapped around his shoulders – it really wasn’t that cold in France in June but he wasn’t going to fight Kimi – and Antonio was sat opposite him, Lukas fast asleep in his arms whilst he scrolled through his phone. Max watched for a few moments, seeing the way Antonio would occasionally gently run his fingers up and down Lukas’s back to calm him if he ever fussed. 

“Sorry, man,” Max rubbed his eyes with his fist as he pushed himself up, “I didn’t mean to actually fall asleep for that long.”

“It’s okay, Kimi say you need to sleep, il bambino sleep too so I look after him, is that okay?”

“Yeah, thanks, mate, where did Kimi get off to?”

“Press, he tried to get out of it, but they say no. He used Lukas but it not work.”

Max smiled, knowing just how hard Kimi would persevere to get out of press given even a slither of opportunity. And with his almost immediate stealing of Lukas, Max guessed his son would be used a lot to try and get Kimi out of a lot of things. 

“He is good baby, he sleeps very good.”

“Thanks,” Max replied, “do you want me to take him? Have you got stuff you need to get on with?”

“The longer I spend with il bambino, the less I spend with media, it is fine.”

“Kimi’s rubbing off on you,” Max told him with a pointed look, but settled back down in his seat, curling his legs up underneath him and was content enough to lay his head on the arm of the chair and watch Lukas sleep soundly on the Italian’s chest. 

Watching Lukas sleep really did make Max wonder if he did have some of Kimi’s genetics in him, or whether the whole nature/nurture debate could be answered just by having Kimi spend ten minutes with a kid and monitoring it’s sleeping after that. Max swore that Kimi had done some weird magic to get Lukas happy enough to sleep so much. 

**\--- Robert ---**  
Max had been dragged off by Red Bull at some point, using Max’s reappearance to try and get some free press work in, meaning that Daniel was left to look after Lukas. Which he was fine with. Except he had to do a press conference, and there was no one to look after Lukas. 

So, the natural solution was to bring Lukas with him. 

Daniel did change Lukas into a less obviously Red Bull clothing, instead just pulling a dark blue one over him, but otherwise he just brought his lad into the press conference with him, sat him on his knee and if photos were posted of Lukas being so small you could only just see his eyes and his curls over the table than Daniel thought it was cute enough that he could get away with it. 

He was thankful that the press and his fellow drivers were quieter than normal, obviously accounting for the baby in the room that was too busy mouthing on Daniel’s hand to take much notice of anything else. 

“Daniel, if I could come to you now. Obviously, we can see that you’ve brought your son with you today, how special is it getting to share these weekends with him, and do you think we’ll be seeing Lukas on the grid when he’s older?”

“It’s real special, he loves watching the cars and he loves being in cars, so that’s great. It’s also his first weekend here, and to show it to him at a circuit like this is special. It’s a track that holds history and we did quite well here last year, obviously Max got a podium which was great. So yeah, it means a lot getting to share it with him. Will we see him on the grid? Who knows, as Max said a few weeks ago, we’re still working on his arms and neck gains before we can him on the track, G-Force might hit him a bit hard at the minute,” Daniel grinned, rubbing his free hand over Lukas’s curls which made his son look up at him. 

The press conference went on for a while longer, Lukas occasionally interrupting one of the other drivers but otherwise he was fairly quiet. As the press conference finished up, Daniel lifted Lukas onto his hip and followed the other drivers out.

“He’s very quiet,” Robert told Daniel.

“Yeah I have no idea how that happened, he’s got two of the loudest parents.”

“That is why, he is quiet because you are noisy.”

Daniel laughed at Robert, thinking there was probably some logic to that. Lukas smacked his hand against Daniel’s arm, trying to get his attention and starting to cry.

“You didn’t need to show me up by crying now! Robert was just saying how nice and quiet you are!” Daniel whined, which only made Robert laugh. 

“I let you go, he clearly needs tatuś attention.”

Daniel said a quick goodbye to the Pole and started bouncing Lukas on his hip as he walked back to Renault, intent on finding Max along the way so Lukas could get fed. 

**\--- Sergio and Lance ---**  
The Sport Pesa Racing Point, or whatever the fuck they were called these days, boys were the last ones to meet Lukas. Admittedly it was probably because both Daniel and Max had probably said about ten words to each man over the years, with the majority of what Max had exchanged with Checo involving a pat on the shoulder after his confrontation with Esteban in Brazil. 

Lukas was chewing on the leg of the honeybadger stuffed toy that Renault had given him whilst Max and Daniel were waiting for dinner, happy enough to be in his car seat and just look up at the pattern on the ceiling. Daniel kept looking over at Lukas, smiling widely whenever Lukas locked eyes on him and opened his mouth, the closest he could get to a smile at this age. Across the table, Daniel grabbed hold of Max’s hand and ran his thumb across the back before linking their fingers together. 

“I love you,” he murmured, still adoring the way Max would fluster slightly and avert his eyes for just a millisecond before looking back at Daniel to repeat the sentiment. 

They sat making small talk for a while, briefly touching on racing and Daniel’s practice results, but didn’t stay on it long. Instead Daniel was regaled with the story of Kimi stealing Lukas and Max falling asleep in Alfa Romeo. 

“I’m surprised they let you in.”

“Would you want to be the one to tell Kimi Räikkönen that he’s not allowed to let his son and grandson into the motor home? Because I sure as hell wouldn’t.”

Daniel thought about it for a second but quickly laughed and nodded,

“Yeah, you’re right, maybe we should try smuggling you into Mercedes under the guise of Lukas _needing_ his uncle Valtteri.”

“Yeah don’t think that’ll work,” Max laughed. Daniel loved watching Max laugh. Even after nearly three years together, Max still was the most beautiful man on Earth and Daniel counted his blessings every day that he got to spend it with him. 

“As long as you stay out of Racing Point, you go into as many garages as you want,” Checo told them as he came up at the side of the table. Daniel lifted his free hand to shake with Checo whilst Max settled for a nod. Stroll was stood awkwardly to the side, shuffling side to side whilst he waited for his teammate. 

“Hola, bebé,” Checo then addressed, Lukas staring up at him with wide eyes that Daniel had to admit did look a little judgemental. 

“Pink contrasts with the yellow of his Renault gear, we’ll keep him far away from yous,” Daniel told them, which had Max rolling his eyes. 

“No way you’re dressing him as a banana, I have enough of that with you. He’s staying in Red Bull colours.”

“Pink goes well with blue,” Lance piped up. 

Lukas started whining at that point and the four men laughed. Clearly, Lukas wasn’t a fan of the prospect. 

Daniel leant over and picked Lukas up out of his seat and held him close, gently shushing him and whispering, 

“It’s okay, wombat, you can be a banana if you want.”

“Do NOT dress him as a banana!” Max complained. 

Checo smiled at the family, and Daniel could tell he was missing his own family, but they were saved from anymore awkward conversation by the waiter approaching with Daniel and Max’s dinner. 

“We’ll leave you to enjoy your dinner. Adios, bebé, Max, Daniel.”

Lance waved, still looking awkward and trailed after his teammate. 

Daniel settled Lukas back into the crook of his arm and after thanking the waiter, started in on his dinner. 

“Who’d’ve guessed everyone in the paddock loves Lukas as much as they do, aye?” Daniel murmured in between bites. 

Max didn’t say anything, but his eyes were soft and Daniel knew it was because he was stuck in his head. And he didn’t need to ask to know that it was because Max was thinking about how grateful he was that this weird paddock family cared about them as much as they did. He was so used to the negativity and being told he wasn’t enough. 

But he was. 

And Lukas proved that every day. 

And Daniel could not be more thankful that Lukas showed Max just how special he was every day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did I really throw in Simi, Carlos x Lando, and George x Alex, you may be asking yourself?
> 
> Yes. Yes I did. Bc I am a slug for them. 
> 
> Hope you enjoyed it anyway my pals
> 
> Drop us a comment, let me know what you think, I’d love to hear from you! Any and all feedback is welcome, and kudos make a dude happy :)


	6. The one where Max has a crisis because he’s growing a human

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Max finds out that his life is going to change, and he has some help getting to that realisation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So there's not really much Daniel in this, it's mainly Max with a side of Protective Dad Kimi because I am weak. But this fic is half of a bigger overall plot, inspired by a comment from AnaMachado. 
> 
> This preludes and follows the plot of chapter two, in which Max actually finds out he is pregnant, and his internal crisis over how the heck he's going to tell Daniel, with Kimi being Kimi and Valtteri just being along for the ride. But yeah, I'll be coming back to this idea of Max panicking over growing a human as I kinda enjoy torturing Max it seems and let's be honest, he's going to panic a lot over how to be a parent and his future. 
> 
> Same warnings as per usual with Max in my chapters I feel, but there is alluding to panic attacks and also Max just having breakdowns bc he is a mess and I Support My Messy Son. 
> 
> Enjoy my dudes :)

It was in Italy that Max started to get the impression that there was something wrong. After qualifying fifth Max was happy enough, but he was saddened to hear that Daniel’s quali had ended as badly as it had, plus the grid penalty wasn’t going to make Daniel feel any better. But he couldn’t understand why when he got out of the car, his stomach was churning and he wanted to throw up in his helmet. As soon as Max had climbed out of his car, he ran off, barely having chance to chuck his helmet at someone before he was bending over a toilet and throwing up the contents of his stomach. He wrapped one of his arms around his stomach and leant his head against the other, taking deep breaths and trying to calm himself down. 

“Max? Are you okay?”

Max swung around on his knees and saw Kimi looking at him with pure concern and worry.

“Yeah, I’m fine, don’t worry about it.”

Max could see the way Kimi was just automatically worrying, for some reason he was protective of Max and he didn’t entirely understand why, but he did appreciate it, even if he never told Kimi. It was nice to have some form of father figure who didn’t tell you how shit you were 24/7. 

Kimi came forward and Max instinctively flinched. He saw the look of sorrow on Kimi’s face but he just passed his water bottle to Max, which Max hesitantly took, embarrassed by his own behaviour. After rinsing his mouth and spitting into the bowl, Max flushed away the contents of his stomach and stood up, Kimi reached out and helped Max up, steadying him as he swayed on his feet. Max quickly took another drink before handing it over to Kimi.

“I’m sorry, thanks,” Max murmured, looking down at his feet and hesitantly rubbing his stomach to try and stop the cramping. 

He saw Kimi watch the movement but didn’t think anything of it. 

“Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Yeah, I think I just got dehydrated, I’ll be okay,” He shrugged.

“You need to make sure you’re drinking enough, don’t want anything to happen to either of you.”

Max stared at Kimi, not understanding who the ‘either’ was, but when he saw Seb hovering outside the bathroom, he assumed he meant Seb.

“I will. Don’t worry.” 

Max didn’t say anything more but instead just walked out of the bathroom, smiling and nodding at Seb before he turned around suddenly and said,

“Nice one on getting pole, it’ll be a good fight.”

Kimi offered up a small smile, one Max knew few were privy to and murmured, 

“It will be. But drink first.”

Max rolled his eyes and nodded, walking off with his own small smile. 

He did agree though, he definitely needed to get some anti-sickness tablets in him and some water down his throat because this cramping wasn’t getting better. 

—

It was after the race in Italy that Max really was getting the impression something was wrong with him. 

He’d woken up at the crack of dawn, his stomach throwing itself around before Max had to dive to the bathroom again to throw up. Daniel hadn’t even stirred as Max retched, tears streaming down his cheeks and his throat burning. He repeated the same procedure as yesterday and this time splashed some water over his face to try and wash away the tears. 

Later, just before the race, Max had to do the same, and then again after the race. He sobbed into the bowl, his head pounding with the pain and it feeling like his throat had razor blades in it. The pain in his head, in his stomach, in his throat, it was all too much and to then lose a podium just tipped Max over the edge and he couldn’t stop sobbing, the sound ripping from him and he couldn’t stop. He could feel his throat constricting as his breathing got shallower and he couldn’t see anything as his vision got blurry. 

“Max, Max, look at me, look at me kid, I’ve got you kid, but you gotta look at me,” Max heard and he shook his head, trying to tell the person that he couldn’t because his vision was going black and he had no idea what to do. 

He felt someone pull him into a sitting position but Max blacked out after that, catching a flash of red and ice blue-grey eyes before everything just went black. 

When Max eventually came around, it felt like someone was banging a drum against his head but his stomach had finally stopped hurting and he counted that as a win. 

“Ah, you’re awake,” Max heard, which startled him as it wasn’t a voice he expected and he nearly fell off the sofa he was laying on in his panic. 

“It’s alright, kid, calm down.” Max felt fingers running through his hair and he relaxed into the touch, leaning into it and dropped his head to fall against Kimi’s shoulder. 

“You need anything?”

Max shook his head, not wanting Kimi to leave him now he was finally getting some comfort. He felt Kimi shift and Max whined slightly, surprising himself with the noise, but he clung onto the hem of Kimi’s shirt and refused to let go. 

Kimi still leant across to whatever he was grabbing, just taking Max with him in the motion and Max was surprised that for once his stomach didn’t protest at the waviness. 

“Here, drink,” Max felt a bottle being pushed at his lips and he glared at Kimi before taking it into his hand and swigging down some water. 

“How much have you thrown up?” 

Max shrugged.

“Max, how much have you thrown up?” Kimi repeated.

Max shrugged again. 

“Max, I won’t ask again.”

“Last night, this morning, before the race, after the race,” he whispered.

“Have you and Daniel been having safe-sex?” 

Max almost screamed at the question, pushing himself off Kimi and into the corner of the sofa, his eyes going wide at the, in his head, stupid question. 

“What the hell?! Why the hell do you need to know that?!”

“Because I think you’re pregnant.” Kimi said matter-of-factly, staring Max in the eyes. 

“No.”

“Max-”

“No, no I can’t be. Daniel will hate me, he just announced his move, he’ll think I did it on purpose, I’m not pregnant, I’d know, Kimi, I’d _fucking_ know if I was,” Max almost begged as his voice wavered and his eyes filled with tears. 

Kimi pulled Max into his arms and held him tightly against him.

“Shush, kid, it’s alright, it’s not the end of the world.”

“I’m a racecar driver, it is the end,” Max cried.

“Stop being dramatic, you don’t even know if you are pregnant yet.”

Max went quiet and Kimi just let him, knowing that perhaps Max just needed a moment to process everything. 

“What do I do?” He whispered, his fingers toying with the bottom of his fireproof shirt and occasionally brushing against the soft skin of his stomach, feeling the ever so slight difference in the way his stomach felt to before. Where before it would’ve been slightly sturdier all due to Jake’s workouts and, let’s be honest, Daniel and his rather healthy sex-life, now there was a definite softness there. 

“You do a test. You find out if you are. If you are, you decide on whether you want to keep it or not, and you should probably talk to Daniel. But it’s your body, and you need to do what’s right for you.”

Max nodded slowly, thinking through what Kimi told him. He knew he needed to talk to Daniel, but he was so fucking terrified to. One of his earliest memories was of hearing an argument in which his mum was accused of trying to trap his dad with Max and his sister. He didn’t want Daniel to throw the same words he’d heard as a child at him. He couldn’t lose Daniel. But he also wasn’t sure if he could face this hypothetical child not being around. Already an idea was forming in his head, whatever it turned out to be, of what this child could be, but the prospect of him having Daniel’s child made him want to see what happened, even if he was terrified. 

“Look, go back to Red Bull, get changed and get on your flight. Apparently, Daniel is looking for you. I’ll drop by tomorrow with a test and you can find out, okay?” Kimi negotiated, which Max was grateful for. He knew he should be an adult and take control of his situation, after all, it was his body and his life that he was potentially changing. But he knew Kimi was probably a bit more level-headed than he was currently. 

“Okay, can you just, like, not tell Seb?”

“Of course, kid.”

Max nodded a thanks, and pushed himself up, somewhat shaky on his feet but otherwise okay, his earlier light-headedness gone and his stomach not threatening to send him running back to a bathroom. Max wrapped his arms around Kimi, muttering a thank you into his shoulder before pulling away. 

“You’ll be on the podium next time, pieni.” Kimi told him.

Max nodded. 

“Sorry you missed out on p1.”

Kimi shrugged, and Max knew that as much as Kimi wants to win, they all want to win obviously, he truly is one of the few that puts the enjoyment of racing before the accolades that come with the job. 

“Right... so, I’ll see you tomorrow?” Max asked, his eyes flicking down to his torso before back up to Kimi. 

Kimi nodded and ruffled Max’s hair. 

“It’ll be okay, Max.”

And Max actually did have faith in Kimi. Maybe it would be okay. 

—

Max snuck out of bed early the morning after Kimi had delivered the test. Daniel was already up and about before Max that morning, Max guessed probably in the kitchen making food, which gave him enough time to try and sort his situation out. He was thankful that there was no sickness that morning, not sure how he’d cope if there was. 

Creeping through to the bathroom, Max pulled the door shut behind him and locked it. Before he did anything, he turned the shower on to try and avoid Daniel hearing anything. He pulled the shirt he slept in off and turned sideways in the mirror. 

There it was.

Just above the line of his boxer shorts was a barely noticeable swell. 

“Oh fuck,” Max whispered, bending over the toilet and heaving but never actually throwing up. “Oh fuck, this can’t be happening.”

Max shakily pushed himself to sit with his back to the door and pulled the stick out of the box. He just sat staring at it, not sure if he really, actually, truly, was absolutely sure that he wanted to know. Surely if he just ignored it, it’d go away?

No, of course not. 

He wasn’t that stupid. Just stupid enough to get himself in this position in the first place. 

Instead he just peed on a stick. And waited. 

He watched the minutes tick down on his phone timer. And when it hit zero, his eyes filled with tears and he shakily lifted the stick he’d been flicking between his fingers the entire time. His eyes caught sight of the window on the test and he dropped his head back to smack against the door.

‘Pregnant.  
5+ weeks’

“Breakfast, baby!” Max heard through the door, two quick succession of knocks accompanying it, causing him to fumble and drop the test.

“Okay, gimme a few minutes!” Max shouted back, hoping it would make Daniel go away. He knew his voice shook as he spoke, but Max prayed that the door muffled it along with the noise of the shower. He picked up the test and wrapped it in his t-shirt, stuck his head under the shower head and then wrapped a towel over his shoulders, careful to hold it closed over his torso in case Daniel saw him. But Daniel was distracted in the kitchen, so Max hid the test at the bottom of the drawer in his bedside table, pulled one of Daniel’s hoodies on with some loose shorts and wandered back to the kitchen, the sleeves pulled over his hands and the hood wrapped over his damp hair. 

He saw the concern on Daniel’s face, but smiled gently, trying to avoid making him think there was anything wrong. When Daniel reached and took his hand across the table, Max almost wanted to cry. 

Maybe it would be okay? Maybe Daniel wouldn’t hate him? Maybe Daniel did want a baby with him?

Max knew he was meant to talk to Daniel, couldn’t avoid what was inevitable now. Not now he’d seen the written confirmation and saw the way the little alien had changed his body already. But he was quiet all day, all his thoughts taken up by how he was even meant to broach the subject, let alone actually tell Daniel.

They’d argued that night, Max unable to keep his dinner down and Daniel getting increasingly angry at Max. So, Max did the only thing he could do. He ran away. Daniel had grabbed him as he ran, but he wrenched his arm free and just bolted, running far away from Daniel and the apartment and that stupid fucking test that changed everything. 

He was banging on the door of Valtteri’s apartment before he’d even realised he was there, some subconscious part of him remembering Kimi telling him he’d be there when he’d dropped the test off. 

The door was ripped open, and Valtteri looked like he wanted to murder Max, before he took in the terrified state of the young Dutch and ushered him in. Max’s chest was heaving with sobs as he shuffled in, Valtteri shoving him onto the sofa and wrapping a blanket round his shoulders. 

“Kimi,” Max sobbed, “I-I need Ki-Kimi.”

Valtteri quickly went and threw Kimi’s door open and spoke in rapid Finnish. Max heard something slam and he instinctively pulled an arm over his head. The other arm came to wrap around his waist, his palm resting against the bump, protecting it from whatever was going to happen. 

“Max, it’s alright poika, it’s just me,” Kimi murmured, pulling Max’s arm from his head and wiping his eyes, “You’re alright, can you breathe for me?”

Kimi slowly calmed Max down, getting him to breath properly and eventually stop crying. If Kimi noticed that Max’s hand never strayed from his stomach, he didn’t say anything. 

“I couldn’t tell him, I couldn’t, I don’t want him to leave me,” Max cried, clutching onto Kimi and just relishing in the hug. 

“Max, he’s not going to leave you, Daniel loves you.”

“But he doesn’t want this, he doesn’t want a baby.”

“Has he told you that? Has he ever said ‘Max I do not want to have a child so let’s never ever ever have one’ or are you making an assumption?”

Max murmured something that he knew Kimi wouldn’t be able to hear, and so when Kimi jabbed him he repeated louder, 

“Assumption.”

“Look, Daniel is a good guy, he loves you. And he’s the biggest child there is. He loves kids, and he’s going to love this even more because it’s yours and his.” Kimi told him and Max knew he was talking sense but at the same time he didn’t want to believe it. 

“But what if he doesn’t?” Max’s voice went small, “What if he just likes when he can give the kid back, and he doesn’t want this?”

“Then he’s a vittu,” Kimi shrugged and Max looked up at the unknown word. “Don’t ask.”

“I’m scared, I can’t do this alone.”

“You won’t. You’ve got us, Seb, your mum and sister, it’s going to be alright.” Kimi told him, pulling Max down to lean against his chest as he settled back into the sofa. Valtteri was stood watching from the chair opposite, and Max eventually smiled sadly at him, 

“I’m sorry for just barging in so late, I didn’t know where else to go.”

“You’re always welcome here, kulta,” Valtteri told him, pulling a blanket off the back of the chair and settling down into the chair himself. Max watched as Valtteri and Kimi settled down to sleep, neither of them leaving him.

He liked this. 

He liked feeling safe. 

—

Max went home the next morning, knowing there was no delaying the inevitable. Kimi and Valtteri had made sure Max ate before the left, even though it had taken him nearly an hour to eat some porridge. Every spoonful threatening to lodge itself in his throat and make him throw up again. 

Daniel almost ripped Max’s arms out their sockets with the strength he used pulling him into his arms, wrapping Max up in a warm and protective hug, their chests touching and Max panicked thinking that Daniel would somehow be able to feel the change in his stomach and he stiffened, but then relaxed. 

“Come here Maxy, come sit down.” Max let himself be man-handled by Daniel and pushed onto the sofa and a blanket round his shoulders. He really did question why the men in his life were obsessed with wrapping him in blankets. 

But it was fine. He ended up telling Daniel, well he broke down, but Daniel knew. And he wasn’t leaving him. He still loved him. And he already loved the little alien. 

—

Max flinched at the cold gel touching his stomach, the midwife apologising as Daniel laughed. 

“I will kill you,” Max threatened, but Daniel just kept laughing, knowing it was a ruse for Max’s anxiety. 

Daniel was sat at the side of the bed, holding Max’s hand tightly as they looked at the tiny screen, just waiting to hear the sound they could only hope and pray was there. 

“And here the little one is,” the midwife turned the screen, pointing out the little shape, “And we can hear baby’s heartbeat now.”

The whooshing sound that encompassed their baby’s heartbeat echoed around the room and Max looked at Daniel. Both men had tears in their eyes.

“That’s our baby, Maxy. It’s really happening,” Daniel whispered between his tears, getting up and kissing Max. 

“We’re having a baby...” Max murmured, breaking eye contact to look back at the screen and then down to his stomach. 

That was there. In him. Just chilling. Waiting for another 6 months until they could make an appearance and be the most spoilt baby in the world. 

It was actually happening. He was going to be a Dad. 

And he had no _fucking_ clue how to do that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If there is any prompt / idea you have that you would like to share / see me attempt, feel free to drop it down below and I shall add it to my growing list of fic ideas :)
> 
> Drop us a comment, let me know what you think, I’d love to hear from you! Any and all feedback is welcome, and kudos make a dude happy :)


	7. The one where Kimi abducts Lukas (or Max and Daniel have an event to attend and Kimi wants to spend time with his favourite grandson)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is this nearly 5k of entirely self-indulgent Kimi and Seb looking after Lukas? Yeah, pretty much. 
> 
> There's also reference to things about baby speech development because I am a psychology student and I study language development a lot and clearly me trying to procrastinate my language development coursework comes out in the form of Sebastian Vettel having a rant about teaching babies language, which is just a bit odd but this whole thing is just a bit odd.
> 
> But yeah, this is just me having fun at this point and I regret nothing. It's basically me trying to explore Kimi and Sebastian, to work on how to write them so that I can do a spin-off with other drivers with their own kid(s) because there always needs to be more family fics in the fandom.
> 
> I hope you enjoy this :)

“And you’re absolutely sure this is okay? It’s fine if you don’t want him.”

“Max. Give me the fucking baby.”

“We can just take him with us, it’s only one night.”

“Max!” Kimi slammed his hands onto Max’s shoulders and shook him slightly, stopping him from his rambling, “Max, we can look after him for one night, you will be fine.”

Max stopped his rambling and looked across at where Daniel was bouncing Lukas on his knee, making his little son scream with laughter. Sebastian was sat beside them, pulling faces at Lukas and chatting with Daniel.

“But you’re sure this is okay?”

“Yes, Max, it’s fine.”

Max nodded a final time, worry clearly evident in his eyes but a bit calmer. 

“And you’ll ring me if anything, literally anything, is wrong?” Max asked, almost pleading with Kimi.

“I’ll send you photos of what he’s up to, don’t worry.” 

Max seemed to accept that leaving his son in Kimi’s hands was going to be okay, and he reluctantly crossed the floor to drop to his knees beside Daniel. Lukas looked across at his dad and reached out for Max. Taking Lukas into his arms, he cradled him close and kissed the top of his head. 

“You be a good boy for your ukki, okay? And Daddy and Papa will be back tomorrow, kindje. Ik hou van je, Lucky.”

Daniel wrapped his arms around both of his boys, kissing Lukas’s head and Max’s cheek.

“He’s going to be fine, Maxy,” Daniel whispered, “We’ll be back tomorrow and it’ll be okay.”

“I know, I’m just worried,” He murmured.

“It’ll be fine, Lukas has all the things he needs and Kimi and Sebastian are more than capable of taking care of him.”

Max eventually stood, handing Lukas over to Kimi and brushing his fingers over his cheeks one last time. 

“Thank you for doing this, we do appreciate it.”

Kimi nodded and offered Max a small smile. 

“Go, before the traffic gets too bad. We have things to do.”

Kimi ushered Max and Daniel out of the house, Lukas on his hip. He lifted Lukas’s tiny hand and waved as his parents climbed into the car, Max lingering in the passenger door before he seemed to be pulled into the car, Daniel probably having dragged him into his seat. They slowly pulled away from the house, and Kimi was left with Lukas in his arms and a bouncing Sebastian Vettel at his side. 

“Right, small Sir, it’s adventure time,” Kimi told Lukas, walking back to the front room and pushing Sebastian onto the sofa and dumping Lukas in his arms, “Hold him a sec.”

Sebastian cradled the little boy to him, rocking him gently as Kimi pottered around. 

“What did Max call you?” Sebastian shouted. 

“Bwoah, I don’t know.”

“Ukki? I think that’s what he said?”

“The little shit, I’m going to kill him,” Kimi muttered, shaking his head as a small grin graced his lips. 

“What? Is it bad?”

“Grandad.”

Sebastian started laughing when Kimi told him, but Kimi didn’t care. He knew with the way that Max had whispered it that they probably weren’t meant to hear it, but Kimi found that he didn’t actually seem to mind. In a way, Lukas was his grandson – even if he still felt too young himself to hear those words. And if it made it easier for Max to adjust to parenthood, knowing that Lukas had someone close by that was that grandfather figure, then he didn’t actually mind. 

“Right, put his coat on him, we’re going out.” Kimi chucked Lukas’s little coat at Sebastian and wandered off to get their own jackets. 

Sebastian pulled the little tiger jacket onto Lukas, pulling the hood up and seeing the tiny ears adorned at the top of his head. 

“Where are we taking him?”

Kimi didn’t answer him, just passed Sebastian his coat and bounced Lukas on his hip. 

“Come on, beautiful,” Kimi held his hand out to Sebastian and pulled him along. 

After Lukas was buckled into his car seat, Kimi climbed into the driver’s seat and smiled across at Sebastian. Sebastian was looking back, staring at little Lukas and a soft smile on his face. He knew what Sebastian would’ve been thinking, just imagining how the future could change should they enter this world of parenthood together. 

But they’d cross that bridge when they came to it. 

Kimi just drove, never telling Sebastian where they were going until they pulled up at the place. 

“Oh my god, you’re really living the Grandpa life, aren’t you?” Sebastian said as Kimi pulled up at the zoo. 

Kimi said nothing, just smiled across at Sebastian and nodded.

“I’m embracing it.”

Sebastian grinned and laughed, leaning across the car to kiss Kimi. 

“Come on, I want to see the tigers.”

“There’s a tiger in the back, but he’s probably asleep,” Kimi joked, making Sebastian roll his eyes and slap Kimi’s shoulder with the back of his hand. 

The two of them climbed out of the car and Kimi picked Lukas out of his seat, cradling the youngster to him as they walked into the park.

Sebastian dropped his hand to join Kimi’s, their fingers linked as they wandered through the park, Lukas looking out with wide eyes at everything he could see and babbling random noises to get their attention. 

Lukas started bouncing himself against Kimi and pointing in the direction of the tigers, and the two men walked over. Kimi knelt down so that Lukas could stand on wobbly legs and place his hands against the glass, absolutely entranced by the animals. 

“That’s a tiger Luk, can you say tiger?”

“Ih,” Lukas provided, the closest he could get to making an ‘ig’ noise. 

“Seb, he’s only seven months, he’s not going to say tiger.”

“But you have to talk to babies normally because it helps with the development of language! The less you baby-talk them and the more you talk to them in a manner that they can copy it engages the brain more and gives them the opportunity to embrace different sounds and words, it’s helpful for him if we do!”

Kimi shook his head at Sebastian’s ridiculousness but said nothing, instead just watching as Lukas pressed his head against the glass and followed the moving tiger with his eyes. 

The tiger seemed to notice Lukas and perused over, falling to lay in front of the glass and stare at the baby. Lukas moved his fingers against the glass as though he was trying to grab the tiger, getting frustrated when his fingers just met a barrier and not the soft fur of the animal. 

“Alright, Lukas, you can’t play with the tiger, you’re too little,” Kimi told him as he rubbed his fingers through Lukas’s curls to try and calm him down a little. Lukas did settle easily, falling back to rest against Kimi’s chest, bored with looking at the tiger for now. 

Kimi stood back up, his knees protesting at having been bent down for so long, but he didn’t say anything, just took hold of Seb and carried on walking. 

“Kimi, look!”

Kimi followed Sebastian’s gaze and saw him looking at a little building where under 5s could go and stroke baby animals. 

“We have to take Lukas, please, Kimi, it’d be so cute! The baby with some baby animals!” Sebastian begged, pulling on his hand and tugging him in the direction of the building. 

They eventually entered the building, and immediately one of the staff members came over to fuss Lukas, saying her hellos to the family and introducing some of the animals in the room. Sebastian took Lukas into his arms and dropped down to the floor, sitting cross-legged with Lukas in his lap and the lady knelt down with them, a baby rabbit in her hands and shuffling forward so Lukas could touch it. 

Sebastian held his hand and very gently brought it down to stroke the rabbit, his fingers brushing the fur and a look of wonder on Lukas’s face as he got to stroke the animal. 

“That’s a rabbit, Lukas,” Sebastian told him, pressing a kiss to his temple and smiling at the boy, but Lukas took no notice and was too fixated on the feeling of the rabbit’s fur. He started whining when the lady moved it away, only to calm again when she brought over another rabbit, this one slightly bigger but Lukas didn’t mind. 

“I think the rabbits are a firm favourite, aren’t they?” The lady joked, making the two men laugh and nod. 

Eventually Lukas started to whine some more, but more-so because he was tired and so they made the decision to take Lukas back home. They’d been at the zoo for a while, more than three hours, most of which had been spent with Lukas trying to get near various animals and pouting when he couldn’t once they’d left the little petting zoo. 

Lukas fell asleep in the car on the way home, his head lolling against the side of his seat and his fingers clutching his blanket and honey badger cuddly toy. 

“He’s so adorable,” Sebastian whispered once they were home, Lukas placed in his cot on his back, his arms thrown up around his ears and fast asleep. 

“They’ve done a good job with him,” Kimi agreed, his arm coming to rest around Sebastian’s shoulders as they stood watching Lukas. Sebastian dropped his head to rest against Kimi’s shoulder and Kimi pressed a kiss to the crown of his head. 

“I love you,” he murmured, causing Sebastian to grin up at him and kiss him properly. 

“I love you more.”

“No, you don’t.” Kimi argued, but walked off before Sebastian could say anything more, leaving Lukas asleep in the bedroom. 

Sebastian found Kimi in the kitchen making their dinner when he eventually joined him. There was pasta boiling in a pot and some sauce in another, and Sebastian quickly dipped his finger in to taste it before Kimi could tell him off, even if he did receive a whack with the tea towel. 

“Fuck off, leave it alone.”

“Does it know what’s it’s doing?” Sebastian grinned cheekily, diving out of Kimi’s path as a second whack with the tea towel came him way. He laughed as he ran out of the kitchen, Kimi hot on his heels as he tackled him onto the sofa, wiping tomato-covered hands across Sebastian’s face as retribution. 

“Cheeky fucker.”

They were interrupted with a cry from upstairs before Sebastian could respond. 

“Go get him, I’ll start plating dinner up,” Kimi told him, rolling off Sebastian and walking back to the kitchen. He heard Sebastian go off upstairs and Lukas stop crying, before the sound of Sebastian on the stairs returned and the two entered the kitchen just as Kimi was placing the plates on the table. 

Sebastian placed Lukas into his high-chair and let Lukas slam his hands against the tray, waiting for his pasta to reach him. 

“It’s too hot right now, liebling, you’ll burn your little mouth,” Sebastian told him, which only made Lukas cry more because he wanted the pasta right that second and didn’t like that it was being denied to him. 

“Seb, sit down, he’ll calm down in a minute and then he can have it. He’s a baby, he won’t understand.”

Sebastian reluctantly dropped into his chair and Kimi was right that Lukas would eventually settle. Kimi placed Lukas’s dinner in front of him and let tucked a bib around his neck, before letting the 7-month-old loose on the pasta. 

“No, in your mouth you dumbo, not up your nose,” Kimi pulled Lukas’s hand away and held the pasta piece in front of his mouth. Lukas took it happily and then picked up another piece and shoved it in too, chewing happily with the few teeth that had started coming through. 

Dinner was uneventful, Lukas content to feed himself and smear tomato sauce across his face and hair, but Kimi knew he needed a bath anyway so he didn’t care to stop him. Plus, he knew it would make Daniel laugh that his son was trying to create as much havoc as he could. Max would probably be having a breakdown over Lukas making a mess of Kimi’s house. But Kimi didn’t care. Lukas was a baby, that was his whole job at this age, just make a mess and learn things. 

Sebastian cleaned up whilst Kimi took Lukas for a bath, the little boy sitting in the tub and splashing the water with a lot of force, drenching himself, Kimi and the tiles. It was just water, Kimi thought, it’ll wipe up. 

Come 7:45pm, Lukas was bathed and dressed in his dinosaur pyjamas, tucked into the crease of Kimi’s arm, with a bottle held between his hands and looking at the pages as Kimi read him a story. Sebastian was leaning against Kimi’s side, turning the pages whenever Kimi gave him the nod. 

If this was what their future could hold, Sebastian wanted it now. He wanted this. A little baby with Kimi’s eyes and Sebastian’s nose and Kimi’s sleeping habits and Sebastian’s curls, not as wild as Lukas’s were but just fluffy. He wanted everything. He wanted to spend every night reading their child to sleep and picking out adorable little pyjamas and negotiating putting food in their mouth instead of their nose. 

“So night night, sleepyhead, it almost time for bed. Goodnight, pikkulapsi.” Kimi whispered, closing the book and looking down at where Lukas had fallen asleep. It was just coming up to 8, the time at which Kimi knew Max would have Lukas asleep in his cot, and so he gently stood up and placed the little boy down in his bed, leaning over and pressing a kiss to Lukas’s head. Sebastian did the same and then they both left him to sleep. Kimi took the baby monitor with him, but Max had told him that Lukas tended to be pretty good when he went down at night, only occasionally waking up in the night, but it was better that Kimi had it just in case. 

“Bed?” Sebastian asked, his arms stretched above his head and that tantalising bit of skin showing where his t-shirt had ridden up. Kimi was quick to agree, pushing Sebastian into their bedroom and onto the bed. 

“I’m not having sex with you when there is a baby next door!” Sebastian whines when Kimi started pressing kisses along his neck, sucking and biting at the crook of his neck just above the line of Sebastian’s shirt.

“He’s not going to know,” Kimi muttered between kisses, Sebastian a writhing mess beneath him. 

“Kimi, there’s a baby literally on the other side of this wall, we are not having sex with your grandson in the house!”

“Got to get the practice in if we’re going to have our own, don’t we?”

Sebastian pushed Kimi off him and sat up.

“What?!”

“I know you want one,” Kimi smiled down at the bedsheets, not able to look at Sebastian, “Maybe we won’t for another couple of years, but we should. Every time I see you with Lukas, it makes me want this. All the time.”

Sebastian’s eyes filled with tears as he listened to Kimi talk.

“Yeah, yeah I do too,” Sebastian sniffled, smiling shakily as he rested his hands on either side of Kimi’s jaw, pulling his head up until they could look each other in the eye.

“I want this, I want everything with you.” He told Kimi.

Kimi kissed him lightly and settled back down to lay on his side facing Sebastian, Sebastian doing the same, their fingers loosely linked between them. 

“Thank you for letting me do this,” Kimi whispered.

“Huh?”

“Lukas, Max, you, our future, racing, just everything. Thank you.”

Sebastian pushed himself forward, tucking his head under Kimi’s chin and wrapping his arms around his tightly. They didn’t say anything else to each other. Instead they just laid there, both of them thinking the same things, but neither verbalising it. 

Kimi got up at 12 to feed Lukas again. Lukas sleepily clutching the bottle between his fists as Kimi held it to his mouth, giving the little boy a breather every now and again before letting him loose on the milk. 

“Is he okay?” Sebastian murmured sleepily when he felt Kimi climb back under the covers, immediately curling into his side. 

“Yeah, out like a light, just like you,” Kimi whispered, rubbing Sebastian’s curls and kissing his crown as Sebastian dropped off again. 

The next morning, Kimi was up before Sebastian and he wandered through to the room next door, sneaking in to see if Lukas was awake yet or still asleep, having not heard a peep from him since he put him down at midnight. 

Lukas was sat up in his crib, his face pressed against the bars as he stared out of the window and his honey badger smashed against his cheek. 

“Uk!” Lukas shouted when he saw Kimi, lifting his arms and making grabby hands at him. 

Kimi grinned at the little boy and picked him up, holding Lukas against his chest and smiling as Lukas wrapped his arms around Kimi’s neck. 

“Aamulla, vauva,” Kimi murmured, nosing Lukas’s hair and smiling at the little giggle he got in return. He quickly changed Lukas and pulled his pyjamas back onto him, deciding to leave the kid in something more comfortable than proper clothes when he just planned on lounging around with Lukas for another few hours. 

He carried Lukas downstairs, settling him on the floor and letting him scoot around on his butt whilst he got to preparing breakfast. Whilst Lukas wasn’t yet crawling, Max had warned them that Lukas had developed that habit of pulling himself around on his butt and that he could quickly scoot from wherever you leave him to another spot in the room quickly. 

Lukas was babbling as he scooted, looking up at Kimi occasionally and following him to wherever he walked to, flopping down beside him onto his stomach when he got bored of sitting up. Lukas didn’t seem to stop babbling the entire time, only stopping whenever Kimi responded, either in Finnish or English, the kid didn’t care, he just liked the attention. 

Definitely more of Daniel showing there, Kimi thought. 

“Anything specific for your pancakes, lapsi?” Kimi asked, Lukas staring at him momentarily and blinking once before babbling unintelligible something in response. 

“Chocolate chips? Good choice.” 

Kimi got to work making the pancakes, turning his phone onto some random programme and setting it up against the chair for Lukas to watch. Lukas smacked his hands against the floor whilst Kimi cooked, until the smell of pancakes hit him at which point Lukas scooted over to Kimi and pulled himself up to stand on incredibly wobbly legs, clutching Kimi’s knee to keep his balance. 

“Come on lapsi, in your seat if you want pancakes,” Kimi picked Lukas up properly and placed him into his chair, putting the pancakes in front of him and letting Lukas loose on them. He sat down opposite him, a cup of coffee between his palms, and a gentle smile on his face. 

Kimi felt two arms come down to wrap around his neck. He leaned back and looked up at Sebastian. 

“Morning, beautiful,” Kimi murmured, only to be interrupted by Lukas gurgling at Sebastian. 

“Morning, liebling, and guten Morgen mein Schatz,” Sebastian said, leaning across and ruffling his hair. Lukas gleefully grinned, pancakes showing in his open mouth. 

“Beautiful, Luk, just stunning, thanks for showing me the contents of your mouth.” Sebastian grimaced at the sight but otherwise just laughed at the boy. 

“Yours are still on the stove,” Kimi murmured, not wanting to break the somewhat tranquil atmosphere in the kitchen. Sebastian’s arms were still wrapped around him, his chin on top of Kimi’s head, both of them just co-exisiting in silence, watching their little grandson make a further mess of his face with the pancakes. 

He’ll clean up easily enough, Kimi thought, not caring about the mess yet again. 

“Hmm, I’ll get them in a minute,” Sebastian replied. 

Kimi pulled one of his arms free and grabbed hold of Sebastian, pushing his chair out and pulling his partner onto his lap. Sebastian giggled lightly at the movement, but quickly settled on Kimi’s lap, his head coming back to rest against Kimi’s shoulder and his eyes falling closed. 

“I’m going to take Lukas shopping,” Kimi murmured, gently kissing Sebastian’s shoulder. 

“What time are Max and Dan coming?”

“Bwoah, I don’t know.” He shrugged.

Sebastian laughed and shook his head at Kimi. Kimi was adamant that he got to keep Lukas for as long as possible. Definitely, because he thought Max needed more sleep and not because he loved spending time with the little one. 

Everyone knew that was a lie, but no one called him out on it. 

Once Lukas finished up, his face was covered in chocolate and sugar, Kimi wiped his face and hands clean and pulled his bib and pyjama shirt off, chucking them on the counter to get washed before he had to return Lukas to his parents. Lukas grumbled at the wet wipe but let Kimi do it, even though he kept trying to rip the wipe out of Kimi’s hands and do it himself. 

Sebastian took Lukas up to get ready whilst Kimi cleaned the kitchen. Sebastian laid Lukas down on the floor, watching the youngster as he rolled onto his stomach and started pulling himself around, pushing his little legs and pulling on the floor to get enough traction to go anywhere. There was something special about seeing these moments, Sebastian knew. Lukas has grown up so fast, so quickly, but he was still learning every day and it was magical to see. 

He quickly got hold of Lukas again, rolling him back onto his stomach and blowing raspberries on his tummy to make him laugh. Lukas’s hands fell to Sebastian’s curls as he laughed, pulling on the strands to get Sebastian away from him. 

Once he managed to keep Lukas still, Sebastian dressed him in an adorable little striped shirt with blue dungarees over the top, TINY SOCKS (Sebastian was in awe of how little everything was, but the socks! THEY WERE SO TINY!) and then placed Lukas’s little tiny black vans on his feet. He stood Lukas up and jumped him a little, Lukas’s curls bouncing around his head like a little angelic halo. Sebastian didn’t think he’d ever met a baby that smiled and laughed as much as Lukas did, but when it was Daniel Ricciardo providing half your DNA, it probably made sense that your main emotion was happiness. 

Lukas on his hip, Sebastian walked back to the kitchen, seeing Kimi dressed himself and holding Lukas’s tiger jacket in hand. Together they got Lukas into his jacket and Sebastian pressed kisses to both of their cheeks. 

“Have fun, ring me if you need anything,”’

Kimi nodded, took the backpack of spare stuff for Lukas and carried the boy in question out to the car, tucking him into his car seat and making sure he was secured before climbing into his own seat. Lukas quickly fell asleep again in the car. Max had mentioned something about Lukas just always falling asleep in the car, but Kimi was kind of amazed that he really did fall asleep so easily in a car. 

When they got to the supermarket, Lukas was still lolling between sleep and being awake, but he sat up in the trolley seat, slowly waking. He kept his honey badger tucked against his chest as Kimi pushed him around, giggling when he woke up properly. Kimi kept up a low conversation with Lukas the entire time, swapping between Finnish and English.

If Max was going to teach this kid Dutch, he was going to teach him Finnish. Get them learning languages when they’re young, it always goes better for them. 

Kimi occasionally intercepted Lukas trying to grab things off the shelf, but thankfully there was no accidents and Lukas kept his hands, somewhat, to himself after that. 

Once the shopping was complete, Kimi drove the two of them home and couldn’t find it in himself to be disappointed at the sight of an Aston Martin parked on the driveway. A car he knew belonged to Daniel, meaning Max probably had badgered Daniel to come and get Lukas as soon as feasibly possible. 

Kimi grabbed the few shopping bags and then picked Lukas up out of his carseat. He’d come back for that later when he was actually giving the kid back to his parents. He saw through the window the way Max instantly flung his head round look out the window when the car door slammed, a massive grin coming onto his face at the sight of Lukas in Kimi’s arms. 

“Lukas, look, it’s Daddy and Papa!” Kimi murmured, which had Lukas looking round for them. 

Sebastian met them at the door, taking the bags off him and letting Kimi walk through to the front room whilst he went off to the kitchen. Max stood up when Kimi entered, coming up to him and wrapping his arms around both Kimi and Lukas. 

“Thank you so much for looking after him,” he whispered. Kimi didn’t say anything, just kissed his forehead and smiled. 

Daniel came up to them, taking his son’s little hand in his and brushing his fingers through his curls. 

“Was he alright?”

“Perfect.” Kimi answered, smiling softly at the family. 

Kimi could see Max getting angsty, wanting to lift Lukas into his own arms and hug him tight, but he also knew that Lukas was still very content and safe to be held in Kimi’s arms. 

“Here, before you hurt yourself,” Kimi murmured, handing Lukas over to Max. 

Max smiled somewhat embarrassedly, but held Lukas against him, fussing over him and nosing his hair. 

“Was you a good boy, hey? Did you let your ukki sleep, and not keep them up all night screaming?”

“Went to sleep at 8, woke up at 12, didn’t hear a peep from him again until after 7 when,” Kimi told them, which had Max grinning with pride. 

“And he was okay yesterday? Ate properly, didn’t break anything, didn’t make a mess, like he was okay, wasn’t he? You can tell me if he wasn’t.”

“Max. He was fine. Stop stressing. You saw the pictures,” Kimi told him, seeing the way Daniel fondly rolled his eyes at Max. 

“He looked like he had a lot of fun,” Daniel agreed.

“He loved the tigers and rabbits. He didn’t want to let go of the rabbits,” Sebastian told them, which had Daniel laughing. 

“Tigers and rabbits, really Lukas? They’re not exactly similar animals.”

But Lukas didn’t care. He just grinned at his Papa and shoved his honey badger in Max’s face. 

Kimi saw the way Max had softened immediately upon having Lukas back. And he did have to admit that Max looked more well rested than the previous day. 

“We’ll have him again, anytime. Even if you just need a nap, Max,” Kimi told them, staring pointedly at Max, which had Max roll his eyes cheekily at him. 

“I know, you tell me every time.”

“And you need to sleep more. Accept it.”

“I am sleeping!”

“Not enough.”

“How do you know that?”

“Because you keep falling asleep in the garages and acting like you haven’t even though you’ve been late to the parade three times now.”

Max went red. Clearly, he thought he’d gotten away with being late, but he should’ve guessed that Kimi had noticed. Kimi seemed to notice everything. 

“I hate you.” Max muttured, but it was said without venom and they knew it was more out of rebellion than actual feelings. 

“You staying for lunch?” Sebastian asked, keen to stop the two from arguing further. 

Daniel’s eyes lit up at the prospect of food, which they took to mean that they would be staying. Kimi was glad. Any further time spent with Lukas and Max, and he guessed Daniel, was worth it. 

Kimi wandered through to the kitchen to get started making food, leaving Max with Lukas and Sebastian in the front room as Daniel followed him through. Kimi stared at Daniel when he shut the kitchen door behind them, scrunching up his face and taking a deep breath. 

“I need to ask you something,” Daniel said in a quiet voice. He looked nervous and kind of scared, even reluctant to actually say anything. 

Kimi stared at him, waiting for Daniel to continue. He watched as Daniel dug in his hoodie pocket, pulling a box out and placing it on the counter next to Kimi. 

Oh boy, Kimi had an idea of where this was going.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YES I HAVE MAX TEACHING LUKAS THE FINNISH WORD FOR GRANDAD BECAUSE I AM A WEAK ASS BOI AND I NEED HAPPINESS OKAY. 
> 
> I may have spent a long time just looking at baby clothes and pulling a Seb over how small they are.
> 
> If you can also work out what Daniel is going to ask Kimi, you get a special head pat from me. I'm sorry that I can offer up nothing else. I'll just have to write more fics instead :D
> 
> If there is any prompt / idea you have that you would like to share / see me attempt, feel free to drop it down below and I shall add it to my growing list of fic ideas :)
> 
> Alternatively, I have a tumblr just for this now! It’s 3303andmore and while it’s not actually really got anything on there atm it’s where I plan on posting things that relate to the story, any little plot ideas I have etc., but also a place you can come and talk anything maxiel with me if you want! So if you’ve also got an idea you wanna be anonymous for, just hit me up over there! 
> 
> Drop us a comment, let me know what you think, I’d love to hear from you! Any and all feedback is welcome, and kudos make a dude happy :)


	8. The one where Daniel makes Max cry but it’s happy tears he swears

Max entered the apartment, finding it incredibly quiet which only slightly worried him considering it was supposed to be Lukas’s dinner time. And Lukas never ate his dinner quietly. 

“Dan?” Max whisper-shouted, wandering around the place and looking in the bedroom and in the kitchen, finding it devoid of his family. 

Just as he walked past the bathroom he heard the sound of splashing and Lukas squealing. Max stuck his head in and saw Daniel sat cross legged in front of the bath, watching Lukas splash around in the water. Daniel looked around at the door opening, his eyes lighting up at the sight of Max being home. 

“I thought you were going to be late?”

“Meeting finished early, think Christian knew I wanted to get home.” Max shrugged, coming down to sit beside Daniel, kissing him briefly and then kissing Lukas on the forehead. “Why is he in the bath so early?”

“Oh,” Daniel murmured, immediately looking away from Max and shifting, “We made a bit of a mess, so we’re bathing early.”

“He’s going to get messy from dinner,” Max pointed out.

“Nah, it’ll be fine. It’s not a messy dinner today anyway.”

Max nodded and leant into Daniel’s side. Daniel pulled his arm up around Max’s shoulder and they both watched Lukas for a little while. Lukas looked over at his parents occasionally, lifting up his toys to show them before splashing back in the water again. 

“I’m gonna go check on dinner, you alright to get him dried off and that?” Daniel eventually asked. 

Max hummed an agreement, accepting the hand of help that Daniel offered to pull him off the floor. Daniel pressed a brief kiss to his lips and then walked off, feeling Max staring at him, deliberately swaying his hips very dramatically to make Max laugh, which he succeeded in. Max rolled his eyes at his boyfriend’s dramatics and turned away. He grabbed Lukas’s towel and wrapped him up in it, carrying him through to the nursery and getting him ready. He saw the clothes he’d known Lukas had been dressed in when he left in the wash basket, green and red stains of some sort on them, but Max just shook his head, ignoring the mess. 

With Lukas dressed, Max placed Lukas so that his feet were on top of Max’s and held his hands, walking through to the kitchen with Lukas balanced on his feet. Daniel laughed as they plodded in, Lukas grinning and giggling. Daniel lent down to tickle Lukas’s stomach and then picked him up.

“Go through to the other room, we have a surprise for you.” Daniel pushed Max away, grinning at the confused and somewhat untrusting look Max threw his way.

“What are you planning?”

“You’ll see in a minute, just go and fuckin’ sit down.”

Max sighed, which had Daniel roll his eyes at his dramatics, and walked off. He waited for Daniel and Lukas, his arms crossed over his chest as he stared. Lukas came shuffling in first, pushing himself around on his butt, closely followed by Daniel, who was hiding one thing in his hand behind his back and the other hand tucked into his pocket.

“So, I know we said we were going to wait until closer to Christmas to actually do anything Christmassy, but we had this idea and we wanted to do it. So, here’s a present from Lukas to you.” Daniel explained. He pulled his arm out from behind his back and presented Max with a card. 

Max took it and flipped it over, instantly smiling when he saw that Daniel had painted both his hand and Lukas’s before pressing them to the card, creating some pattern that Max was pretty sure was meant to be a tree or something similar. 

“You gotta read the inside of it, Lukas worked hard on it,” Daniel muttered, picking Lukas up and breathing deeply. Max noticed he looked nervous and his hands were shaking where he was holding Lukas, but his eyes were fixed on the card and so Max opened it up, reading the words in Daniel’s scratchy handwriting out loud. 

“Happy Christmas Daddy. I love you. The only thing I want for Christmas is for you to have my last na-... Daniel what the hell?” Max suddenly stopped, looking up at Daniel with wide eyes. Daniel smiled gently and nodded at the card.

“Keep reading Maxy.”

“The only present I want is for you to have my last name. Daddy, will you marry Papa?” Max finished, his voice cracking and tears rolling down his cheeks as he read. He looked up and let out a sob at the sight that met him.

Daniel was down on one knee, Lukas balanced astride his thigh, the two of them holding the ring. Lukas looked up at Max with a massive grin on his face, whilst Daniel looked more apprehensive but incredibly hopeful. 

“Fuck, yes, yes of course I’ll marry you.” Max cried, falling to his knees and wrapping his arms around Daniel’s neck, crying into him. Lukas was safely deposited into the floor and Daniel wrapped his arms around Max’s waist, pulling him tightly against his chest and holding him there. 

“God I love you,” Daniel whispered, pulling back to look at Max. They both knew they had the same lovesick looks on their faces, matching tear tracks and watery grins. 

Later on, when they were in bed, Lukas fast asleep in his own room, Max was holding his hand above his head, looking at the ring that was now proudly housed on his finger. There was one dark stone in the middle, two lighter blue ones on either side, and a tiny 3303 inscribed onto it. 

“You actually fucking proposed at Christmas,” Max suddenly realised, turning over and lightly smacking Daniel on the shoulder. Daniel grinned and intercepted Max’s hand, pulling him to lay across his chest. 

“Technically, it’s not Christmas, so you can’t be angry. You said no proposals on Christmas day, Boxing day, New Year’s Eve or Day, or our anniversary. Today is none of them. I didn’t break the rules.” Daniel joked, knowing how Max didn’t want some cliché engagement. 

“You’re a brat,” Max told him. 

“Yeah, but you’re the one who agreed to marry me.”

“Yeah, yeah I guess I am.” Max looked at Daniel with a wishful look in his eyes. He still couldn’t believe how lucky he was. Their eight-month old son asleep next door, engaged to be married, and a paddock family to rival even the best of them. 

“Oh my god I need to tell my mum and Kimi.” Max whispered.

“Well about that..”

“Oh god what did you do?”

“I may have asked them both for permission?” Daniel told him, “Like a month ago, so they’ve both been keeping it a secret for a long time and your mum helped me pick the ring.”

“THEY DID WHAT?!” Max almost screamed, “They knew?!”

“Well yeah, I wasn’t going to propose without asking for your parent’s permission. I’m an old-fashioned gent, Maxy.”

Max settled back down, rubbing his hands over his face and feeling the cool metal of the ring against his cheeks. 

“I can’t believe they both knew.”

“I told Kimi not to tell Seb because we both know Seb wouldn’t be able to keep it a secret.”

Max nodded reluctantly.

As they both settled down to sleep, Max thought back to this time last year. He’d been six months pregnant, probably having a panic attack and crying over his worries on how he was even meant to be a parent. And a year later, here he was. Engaged to be married and a beautiful fiancé to spend the rest of his life raising the most beautiful child in the world. 

He pinched himself before he went to sleep, just to check this was real. 

And when Daniel started fiddling with the ring, Max knew it was. And yet, he still couldn’t quite believe it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was fun :)
> 
> If there is any prompt / idea you have that you would like to share / see me attempt, feel free to drop it down below or drop me a message on Tumblr (3303andmore - there's nothing really there atm but I'm working on it!) and I shall add it to my growing list of fic ideas :)
> 
> Drop us a comment, let me know what you think, I’d love to hear from you! Any and all feedback is welcome, and kudos make a dude happy :)


	9. The one where they make plans for their future

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I was given some prompts and I promise I'll get to them!! I've just had these last two chapters (and the next chapter!) in my head as little plot bunnies and they won't let me write anything but them. But I promise, if you drop me a prompt, I will do it, I may just take a million years bc I'm trash and only seem to write random other things haha
> 
> But I hope you enjoy this. I actually pretty much completely rewrote this entire chapter this evening. I wrote it yesterday but fkin hated it so I just wanted to redo it and I'm so much happier with this, so I do hope you enjoy :)

The music poured over them in the tranquil environment of their house. Nothing to be heard other than the soft music Daniel had put on, their socks shuffling on the floorboards and their gentle breathing, neither of them willing to break the void of silence. 

\--

Their son was fast asleep in his bed, put there by Max not an hour ago, with gently whispered Dutch (_“Goede nacht, Lukas” “Goede nacht ,Daddy”_) and a kiss to unruly curls, tucked in tightly with his favourite blanket and his cuddly honey badger. Max had watched for a moment longer, watching the way those eyelashes brushed against Lukas’s cheeks, before his breathing evened out and he was fast asleep. 

Max left the door cracked open slightly, but otherwise left Lukas to sleep, returning to the warmth of Daniel’s arms. He’d found Daniel in the kitchen, finishing plating up a late dinner (which admittedly was just a takeaway pizza but he was being fancy) for them both, the table set with a small candle and a welcoming atmosphere. The moonlight was filtering through the small kitchen window, the light catching the ring that sat so proudly on Max’s ring finger. Max let himself be pushed onto a chair by Daniel, the seat tucked in under him with Daniel presenting the pizza in front of Max with a dramatic flourish, which had Max rolling his eyes and laughing at the man he was going to be spending the rest of his life with. 

“Lukas go down okay?” Daniel asked once he’d settled opposite Max.

“Yeah, he did tell me to tell you that I don’t do that stories as good as you, your voices are better,” Max informed him, smiling at the proud grin on Daniel’s face. 

“See, the boy knows best, he knows his Papa is the best story teller there is.”

“You’re literally reading words out of a book.”

“Noooo, Maxy, there’s more to it than that!” Daniel playfully argued, which only made Max sigh and shake his head in fond exasperation, “There’s a sense of theatre to it, a production, a way of life. It’s only possessed by the true greats that the Gods decide should be blessed with such an artistic talent, and they have blessed me with this heavy burden of talent.”

“It’d be great if they could’ve given you some singing talent for how often I have to hear it,” Max joked, breaking out into laughter at the indignant look on Daniel’s face. 

“So cruel, I can’t believe my own fiancé would treat me with such disrespect.”

“Eh, you’re used to it, Baku happened, remembered?” 

Daniel looked dramatically into the distance, his eyes widening in horror as he recalled Baku. 

“I never forget Baku..” Daniel murmured. Max rolled his eyes at the dramatic nature, but didn’t say anything. He distracted Daniel instead by taking hold of his hand across the table, linking their fingers together and smiling softly when Daniel lifted their hands to kiss Max’s fingers. 

“I love you,” he murmured just before taking a bite of his pizza.

“You talking to me or the pizza?” Max questioned, knowing that, for Daniel, pizza and Max were both pretty important. 

“Eh, either. You’re both important to me,” Daniel replied cheekily. 

Max sighed once again and smiled at Daniel’s ridiculousness. 

Nothing more was said whilst they finished up their pizza. They wordlessly stood up at the same time, taking their plates and glasses over to the dishwasher to be dealt with tomorrow, neither of them up for actually doing the dishes tonight. 

Daniel took hold of Max’s hand again, pulling him along to the front room and letting go as soon as they entered. Max watched as Daniel started fiddling with the volume on the speakers, connecting his phone to it and turning the music down low. Gentle music filled the room, washing over them. Daniel turned back to Max, holding his hand out and waiting for Max to join their hands together.

“Dance with me, Maxy,” he whispered, careful to not break the tranquillity. 

Max wanted to fight him, make a joke about how they were becoming one of _those_ couples, but he found that he couldn’t. He actually really did want to slow dance with Daniel. It was just a random song playing, one that didn’t mean anything to them, it was actually one they’d already ruled out as their first dance song, but in the moment, it was the most beautiful song to them. 

They were stood with their chests pressed together, Daniel’s arms around Max’s waist and Max’s arms around Daniel’s neck, his head resting against Daniel’s shoulder, breathing in that familiar underlying scent of vanilla and petrol and something else that was just pure _Daniel_. Daniel was humming the song softly into Max’s ear and Max felt his eyes droop close, basking in the moment. 

“Just one more month and we’ll be dancing like this at our wedding,” Daniel whispered, feeling the grin on Max’s face where it was still pressed against his shoulder. 

“Hmm,” Max hummed, “Can’t wait.”

“Can’t wait to call you my husband, Maxy.”

“Me neither. It’s going to be so good.”

They fell back into silence then. The music washing over them as they swayed and spun in gentle circles. Occasionally their socks slid on the floor and they’d giggle to each other like teenagers who were experiencing true love for the first time, not the parents of a two-and-a-half-year-old little boy who’d been dating for nearly five years. 

“I want another baby,” Max suddenly whispered, bringing his head up from Daniel’s shoulder to see his reaction. Daniel was staring back at him, his mouth dropped open and a wide-eyed look on his face. 

“Seeing Lukas playing with the other kids, it made me realise that I don’t want him to grow up alone. We both had sisters growing up, why should he not have a sibling too?” As Max spoke, he saw the smile slowly coming onto Daniel’s face and the tears filled his eyes. 

“Of course I want another baby with you,” Daniel answered, capturing Max’s lips in a kiss, “I want nothing more. Just you, me, an army of kids, a farm to raise ‘em on. That’s the dream, Maxy.”

“Maybe not an army,” Max grinned, shaking his head as he sighed, “But I’m down for another one or two?”

“Nah, we need enough kids to fill the grid. Can’t lose the championship then if all the grid is our family.”

Max wiped his thumbs over Daniel’s cheeks to brush away the tears that had escaped, ignoring his comments but smiling brightly at him, knowing there was matching tear tracks on his own face. Daniel never stopped swaying them the entire time, just staring at Max with pure awe and adoration. 

“Not until after the next season though. Wedding first, season second, then we can start trying,” Max told him, “I want to do another season before I take the time off again. I don’t want people to think I’m pulling a Rosberg and leaving straight after winning a championship.”

“Whatever you want, Maxy,” Daniel agreed, pulling Max flush against him and kissing him deeply. The song changed into some Ed Sheeran song that had Max rolling his eyes and Daniel choosing to croon the song in his ear and press kisses to his neck between lyrics, but Max found he didn’t care. All he could think about was the present and also the future of them. 

They would be married soon. 

Max was going to be a world champion this year.

They had a two-and-a-half-year-old baby boy.

Next year they’d be wanting to add another one to their family. 

Lukas would be a big brother for the first time and Max would be back to aching and sleeping for roughly four hours a night as he panicked over how to raise a new-born, before the baby would inevitably settle into a routine and Daniel would be there to kiss Max’s forehead and hug him tightly as he cried over not knowing what to do all over again. 

But they’d be happy. They’d be a family of four.

“Papa, what are you doing to Daddy?” a little voice called from the doorway. They both looked over to see Lukas standing there, his blanket trailing on the floor and his badger smashed against his cheek.

“Come here, champ,” Daniel murmured, holding out his arm for Lukas to walk in to. With Lukas on Daniel’s hip, Max wrapped his arm around both of them, hugging his boys tight. Lukas dropped his head to rest against Daniel’s shoulder, mirroring Max. When he looked across at his son, Max saw the sleepy smile on Lukas’s face, but otherwise he was content to just be held by his parents.

“I was just reminding your Daddy how much I love him, Lucky,” Daniel explained to Lukas, smiling at Max briefly before addressing him again, “What are you doing up my little badger, anyway?”

Lukas just shrugged.

“Right, well, you have a cuddle with your Daddy, I’ll make some warm milk and then it’s straight back to bed, okay?” Daniel told him, feeling Lukas’s curls brush against the underside of his jaw as he nodded reluctantly. 

Max rocked Lukas in his arms as they waited for Daniel to return. He noticed that Lukas was fighting hard to stay awake. 

“Daddy, play with Uncle ‘Do soon?” Lukas murmured.

“I’ll have to ask Uncle Lando when he’s free, but I’ll ask soon, okay?”

Lukas hummed an agreement, his tiny fists clutching Max’s shirt as he tried to avoid dropping off, the gentle swaying close to knocking him out even though he was determined to keep his eyes open. 

Two arms wrapped around his waist from behind, and a voice whispered in his ear, 

“I can’t wait till you’re doing that with his little brother or sister, I love you with babies.” Daniel was mindful to keep his voice low so Lukas didn’t hear anything, not ready to share that information with someone who believed that secrets didn’t exist. 

“Another year,” Max promised, “Then we start trying.”

Daniel grinned and kissed Max’s cheek.

“Could always do with getting some practice in before then.”

“Well, Lukas does want to play with Uncle Lando...” Max replied, “Maybe he’d like to stay the night?” He proposed, liking Daniel’s train of thought.

“Sounds perfect, baby.” Daniel told him before walking off to fetch the warmed milk for Lukas. 

When Daniel returned, they both sat down on the couch, Lukas cuddled up in between them with his knees tucked to his chest and his blanket tucked over him, his bottle held between his hands. Looking down at him, Max thought about how this new hypothetical baby would fit into their lives and whether Lukas would be okay with it. 

But he knew, ultimately, that Lukas would be. He’d be four by the time they had the baby and in school full-time by that point. He loved playing with other kids, regardless of how old they were, with his most favourite person being the tiny new baby that had been the biggest surprise of the season. 

Maybe everything actually would be fine. They had a future planned. 

They just needed to get this bloody wedding out the way first. 

Another month. That’s all they had to wait.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If there is any prompt / idea you have that you would like to share / see me attempt, feel free to drop it down below or drop me a message on Tumblr (3303andmore - there's nothing really there atm but I'm working on it!) and I shall add it to my ever-growing list of fic ideas :)
> 
> I might write up a list of chapter ideas I've got based on prompts given and things I've also come up with and drop them in a list on my Tumblr, so if I do, feel free to go check them out and see what we have up-coming (I make no promises when this could be though haha)
> 
> Also, lemme know who you think this ~mysterious~ baby is / belongs to that Lukas is obsessed with that was mentioned at the end, I'm curious to know what you think :D
> 
> Drop us a comment, let me know what you think, I’d love to hear from you! Any and all feedback is welcome, and kudos make a dude happy :)


	10. The One where they finally grant Lukas's Christmas wish

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Should I be writing my two university reports that are due in soon? 
> 
> Yes. 
> 
> Am I?
> 
> No.
> 
> Enjoy this instead lads.

Max was shuffling around the room on socked feet, his navy slim trousers the only item of clothing actually worn properly as his white shirt was undone, his pale chest heaving under his panicking breaths. His hair was a mess and his eyes were bloodshot. He kept nervously running his hands over his face and through his hair, sticking it up more than normal and making it look incredibly messy, nothing like the normally smooth and slick look he went for whenever he wasn’t allowed to wear his cap. 

And he definitely couldn’t wear his cap today.

He was meant to be getting fucking _married_ today. 

“Max? You alright kid?” He heard through the door, stopping his pacing in his tracks. 

“No,” he whimpered, hoping it would be loud enough for whoever was on the other side to hear him. 

The door clicked open and Max spun around to look at who had entered. 

“Kid,” Kimi murmured, crossing the floor and wrapping his arms around Max, “Kid, it’s going to be okay, what’s wrong?”

“I can’t do it, I can’t,” Max sobbed, clutching onto Kimi.

He felt Kimi pull back and couldn’t look at him, keeping his eyes fixed on the floor. 

“What do you mean you can’t do it?”

“I can’t marry Daniel, I don’t want him to leave me. Marriage always ends with people leaving, what if he leaves me?” Max was able to get out between his sobs, hoping Kimi would be able to figure out what he said because there was no chance he’d be able to repeat it. 

“Max, Daniel loves you more than anything else on this planet, why the hell would he leave you?”

“Because that’s what people do,” Max whispered, “People leave me.”

“Max, kiddo, no one is going to leave you. Not Daniel, not us, not Lukas, we’re all here because we love you. And there is a man downstairs carrying a tiny version of you waiting to see how bloody good you look in your suit. Daniel wants to marry you, he wouldn’t have asked me and your mum for permission if he didn’t. Two years you were engaged Max, would he have stuck around for that long if he didn’t love you?”

Max minutely shook his head and wiped his tears away with the cuff of his shirt. 

“But what if being married changes things?” 

“All it will change is the name you write when you sign forms. You’ve been living together for four years, Max. You have a child together. Nothing is going to change.”

Max sniffled again and nodded. Kimi pulled him forward and wrapped him in a fierce hug, holding him tight and letting the last shudders of his sobs fall through him. 

“Right, come on, let’s get you dressed,” Kimi murmured, kissing Max’s forehead before pushing him away. Max smiled shakily at him and watched as Kimi started to do the buttons up on his shirt, his own hands still shaking too much for him to do the delicate task. 

Max wandered over to where the suit bag was hanging up and pulled the tie out, wrapping it around his neck before Kimi knocked his hands out the way and did it himself having seen the mess Max was making of it. 

“Right, shoes. Blazer. We need to be going in the next ten minutes.” Kimi told him, pushing Max towards the bathroom so he could sort his hair out and wash his face quickly, whilst he himself got Max’s blazer out and made sure his shoes were laced properly, because God knows Max probably had done something to mess them up. 

Max re-emerged from the bathroom not five minutes later, all signs of his previous panic gone and instead Kimi could see the nervous but excited look in Max’s eyes. 

He sat down on the edge of the bed and pulled his shoes on, Kimi looking down fondly at him the entire time. He shrugged the blazer on and took a final look at himself in the mirror. 

“Ready?” Kimi asked.

“Born,” Max told him, making Kimi smile at the obvious influence from Daniel pouring through. 

Together they walked out the room and made their way downstairs. Through the doors, Max could see their friends and family assembled, his mum and sister talking to Daniel’s father, Daniel’s godson running around and being chased by his parents, a couple of drivers moving out the way just in time to avoid being trampled by the running child. Max knew the moment Kimi caught sight of Sebastian, a grin coming onto his face at the sight of Seb talking to Lando, the baby sleeping peacefully in his arms. 

Everyone started to take their seats and Max listened as the chatter started to die down and the music started. 

Daniel walked out first, clutching Lukas’s tiny hand and walking slowly, giving Lukas the chance to throw some flower petals that he was adamant needed to be involved in the ceremony. Daniel looked phenomenal in his three-piece suit, the dark blue highlighting his tanned skin and he never stopped grinning the entire time. Lukas was dressed in a similar get up, just minus the waistcoat and wearing little black trainers instead of proper shoes. But Max honestly didn’t care. He’d have let Lukas wore that damned banana costume Daniel brought him for Halloween if it made him happy. 

Kimi took hold of Max’s elbow and pulled him to the doors. Max took a deep breath and nodded at Kimi, who gave the staff a nod to open the doors. Kimi crooked his arm and Max smiled softly at him, resting his hand there and letting Kimi walk him down the aisle, towards where Daniel was waiting for him. Towards his future. 

Daniel turned and watched as the doors opened, and Max noticed that he immediately brought his free hand up to wipe away some rogue tears, using his other hand to keep hold of Lukas and stop him running off. Max bit the inside of his lip to stop himself crying but when he saw the grin on Daniel’s face he knew it wasn’t possible. 

Lukas started waving frantically once he saw Max walking, causing everyone that could see Lukas to start laughing. 

His mum was wiping away tears as he reached the front, his sister holding tightly onto her boyfriend’s hand, both of them showcasing smiles so wide Max thought their cheeks were going to split. 

Kimi shook Daniel’s hand and then let go of Max’s arm, placing his hands in Daniel’s and lifting Lukas into his arms. Kimi placed Lukas next to Sophie and sat down on his other side, a gentle smile on his face as he looked over at the boy that had become his first child. Daniel and Max didn’t stop grinning at each other, wiping away each other’s tears with their fingers. Not an hour ago, Max had been sobbing in the bedroom, thinking that Daniel couldn’t possibly want to marry him, and the only thing Kimi was remembering was that moment when Daniel told him he wanted to propose. 

_”I need to ask you something,” he’d almost whispered, his hands shaking as he placed a small box on the kitchen side. Kimi had waited for Daniel to carry on, but when he realised Daniel was incredibly close to just panicking and backing out, Kimi said,_

_“Go on then, let me see it.”_

_Daniel shakily pushed the box closer and let Kimi open it. _

_“Dan..”_

_“I just want it to be perfect for him. I had it specially done. Our numbers and then the blue stones for Lukas and the brown one because of me. That’s what Max always says. Two sets of blue eyes and a brown pair, that’s our family. Kimi, I really want him to marry me.”_

_“Then ask him.”_

_“I can’t.”_

_“Why?” Kimi looked perplexed, watching as Daniel took a deep breath and composed himself. _

_“I need your permission. You’re the closest thing my Maxy has to a father and you’ve been there for him through everything. Max would be gutted if he thought I didn’t know how important you are, and you are. You’re our son’s grandpa for fucks sake. Please, can I ask Max to marry me?”_

_Kimi just stared at Daniel for a little while, mulling it over and making the man sweat a bit. _

_“Yeah, yeah you can ask him.” Kimi eventually answered, reaching out and pulling Daniel into a one-armed hug. Daniel hugged him quickly, knowing that aside from Max and Sebastian, few others were privy to the pure joy that was Kimi’s hugs. _

_“Just like, can you not tell Sebastian? I love him, but he can’t keep his mouth shut,” Daniel told Kimi, laughing at the way Kimi sighed and rubbed his face. _

_“He can’t keep anything a secret it’s ridiculous. If Lukas could talk you’d know everything about Ferrari’s strategies.”_

“Friends, we are here to witness the future of this family…” the Minister eventually began. 

Neither Max nor Daniel were sure that if you asked them later on what the Minister had said that they’d be able to repeat it, too busy getting lost just staring at each other and smiling. Neither of them was quite able to believe that they were actually stood there, waiting to get married. 

“Daniel, if you want to take your vows?” The Minister prompted, startling the two men back into the situation. 

Daniel nodded and started patting around his pockets, trying to remember where he’d left the paper he had written his vows on. 

“Don’t tell me you’ve lost it,” Max interrupted, making Daniel grin sheepishly at him. 

“I’ve not lost it. I know precisely where it is. It’s on the dresser.” Daniel told him, which made Max roll his eyes and everyone else laugh. “But you always tell me I talk too much, so I’m gonna do just that. The minute I clapped eyes on you, Maxy, I knew you’d be special. Seeing you drive in Japan in 2014 for the first time, and then for your first race as my teammate to go out and win, I knew you were capable of amazing things. You’re strong, you’re feisty, you’re stubborn like no one I’ve ever met before. You obsessively play videogames to the point that I’m waiting for you to get Lukas his own sim, you’re an amazing father, you’re an amazing boyfriend, and you’re an amazing person. You’re a champion, Maxy, and every single day you push me, both as a driver and as a man, to be the best person I could be. You drive me up in the wall sometimes, but I know I do that to you. I’m never going to stop loving you, and I’m never going to stop supporting you in every drive you take. I love you Max, forever.”

Max reached up and wiped a tear from Daniel’s cheek, both of them looking at each other with misty eyes and trembling smiles. 

“And Max, if you want to take your vows?”

“I didn’t write anything down, because nothing sounded right. Nothing I could say can tell you how much I love you. You helped me through some of the darkest times, when I thought I’d lost everything and everyone because of one terrible person. You taught me what love is and you taught me to not be afraid. You’re loud, you have a terrible music taste and a weird obsession with fried chicken. You’ve given me a beautiful little boy, something I never thought I’d be allowed to have, and you’ve given me a reason to wake up every morning. I knew I was going to fall in love with you when you made that video when I tested for my super licence, and I was right. You’ve always been there, through the highs and lows, and you make me a better person every day. I love you Daniel, forever.”

Max knew if he looked over at his mum that she’d be in tears so he purposefully ignored her, knowing that it would only set him off and there’d be far more crying than Max thought he’d be able to handle. It was bad enough looking at Daniel and seeing the tears on his cheeks and hearing his shaky breathing as he tried to bring it back under control. But that was fine. Because Daniel was looking at him with such love in his eyes and Max kinda didn’t ever want this moment to end. They were holding onto each other’s hands with such tight grips as though neither of them was entirely sure that this was reality. 

“May we have the rings?”

Lukas jumped down off his seat, took a box off Kimi and very smartly walked over to Daniel and Max, leaning against Daniel’s legs as he lifted the box for his Papa to take the rings out of. Max and Daniel both knelt down and pressed matching kisses to Lukas’s temple, which had the little boy beaming, before he wandered back off to Kimi and cuddled into his side. 

The rings were simple. Just plain silver with ‘3303’ engraved on the inside, nothing fancy.

“Daniel, if you want to take Max’s left hand in yours,” Daniel shakily lifted Max’s hand and held it, “Do you, Daniel Joseph Ricciardo, take Max Emilian Verstappen to be your lawfully wedded husband, in sickness and in health until death do part?”

“I do,” Daniel said, his voice cracking as he slid the ring onto Max’s finger, smiling at the addition of it alongside the ring he’d put there nearly two years ago. 

“And now Max, if you want to take Daniel’s left hand in yours.” Max gently squeezed Daniel’s fingers, unable to resist the urge to quickly kiss his knuckles before he turned to the Minister and nodded. 

“Do you, Max Emilian Verstappen, take Daniel Joseph Ricciardo to be your lawfully wedded husband, in sickness and in health until death do part?”

“I do.” Max replied, way more composed than he thought he would be. His grin wasn’t as wide as before, but instead it was small, tender. A smile that Daniel knew was just for him, few others ever having been privy to the gentle curve of Max’s lips. 

“I now pronounce you married, you may kiss your groom.”

Daniel barely waited for the Minister to finish talking before he had his hands around Max’s waist and tugging him forward. Max barely caught himself on Daniel’s shoulders before he was kissing Daniel with more love than he ever thought possible. His fingers were running across the stubble of Daniel’s jaw, feeling the strong lines that he kissed every morning to wake Daniel up. They could faintly hear their families and friends in the background, all of the cheering and clapping happily, Lukas shouting something as Kimi tried to stop the boy running off.

They broke the kiss just to rest their foreheads against each other’s, their eyelashes brushing as they gazed into the other’s eyes.

“I love you, Mr Ricciardo,” Daniel whispered.

“Love you more, Mr Ricciardo,” Max replied, letting his hands run down Daniel’s arms and linking their fingers together. 

Eventually they turned and grinned at their assembled family. With a final look at each other, they proceeded to walk back up the aisle, grinning at everyone as they took their first steps towards their future together.

The reception was being held in an old big converted barn on the farm, and when they walked in, they saw the combined efforts of what Victoria and Michelle had created, both gasping at the beauty of their sister’s minds. 

Exposed filament light bulbs hung from the exposed beams, the soft lighting bringing a cosy atmosphere to the room. The tables were assembled in circles, wooden chairs with red and blue ribbon tied over them, with a glass centrepiece in the middle. 

Photos were hung up on wires, showcasing the two of them growing up, pictures of their time as teammates and newer pictures of them or with Lukas. 

“Oh my god, they really had to include the good, the bad, and the ugly, didn’t they?” Max groaned as they toured the photos, laughing at some of the glamorous shots of them during puberty that just weren’t good at all. 

“I still love this one, it reminds me of Lukas so bad,” Daniel laughed, pointing at a photo of Max when he was about eight years old, dressed in a blue racesuit and smirking up at the camera. 

“I remember that, Mum said it looks like I was getting ready to start trouble.”

“Little Mad Max the troublemaker, ey?” Daniel teased, pulling Max into his side and kissing his temple whilst Max shook his head. 

“Just married and you’re already risking divorce Daniel,” he joked. 

“Nah, you love me too much, you’re mine forever now.”

“Yeah, I guess I am,” Max whispered, dropping his head onto Daniel’s shoulder. “I can’t believe this is our life, we’re actually married.”

“Yeah Maxy, we really are.”

The guests started to pour in at that point, Lukas immediately wiggling his hand out of Kimi and Sophie’s grips to come running at them. Max bent down just in time for Lukas to run into him, picking him up and spinning him in a circle, making him laugh out loud. Daniel wrapped his arm around the two of them. His two boys. 

The photographer came up to them, taking a photo of Max and Daniel holding Lukas, the three of them grinning at the camera. 

“Daddy! You look happy!” Lukas told him, bouncing on Max’s hip.

“I’m really happy, Luk.”

Lukas grinned and wrapped his arms around Max’s neck, hugging him as tight as his tiny arms could muster. 

“I love you Daddy and Papa,” Lukas told them, his parents echoing the sentiment. 

Their parents came over next, Joe and Grace hugging them tightly and kissing all their cheeks, before moving out the way so that Sophie could hug them too. All the parents were crying again, which only made Lukas frown at them. 

“Stop crying, it’s happy!” He told them, smiling when the grown-ups all laughed. 

Lukas wiggled out of Max’s hold once he decided that all the adults were fine and ran off, spotting Seb with the baby and sprinting into the seat beside him. 

“God that’s like watching Daniel all over again,” Joe laughed as they watched Lukas bounce restlessly in the seat. 

“Max never wanted to move!” Sophie told them, “The only time he’d leave my side was when Vic got older and she used to wander off, I’ve never seen a child panic more than Max when his sister walked more than ten centimetres away from us.” 

Max blushed and tucked his head into Daniel’s neck, hiding from the parents. Daniel rubbing his hand up and down Max’s shoulder in solidarity. 

“Aw poor protective baby Max,” he crooned, which caused Max to whack him in the chest. 

“You’re meant to be my husband and protect me from mean parents now,” He whined, but Daniel could see the smile behind his eyes. 

“The truth hurts, baby,” Daniel apologetically told him. Max rolled his eyes at him and shook his head. 

The two sets of parents started to exchange further funny stories about their children, which Max didn’t really know how they were able to considering every time their parents got together there were more stories shared about them as kids. 

The rest of the afternoon into the evening was mixed between Daniel and Max talking with their guests and also eating dinner. Daniel’s blazer came off at some point, his shirt sleeves rolled up around his elbows as he sat back in his chair with his arm thrown over the back of Max’s. Max brought his hand up to intertwine his fingers with Daniel’s. Lukas was fast asleep across their laps, his badger tucked under his chin and his blanket wrapped over him, all the food and excitement of the day tiring him out. 

“Can Mr and Mr Ricciardo please take to the floor for their first dance?” 

They gently lifted Lukas up and placed him into the arms of Daniel’s parents. Daniel walked backwards, pulling Max along with a cheeky smile on his face. No one knew what song they’d chosen, so as Daniel pulled Max into his chest and the music started, everyone watched and waited. 

The music started playing, Daniel’s arms were around Max’s waist and Max’s around Daniel’s neck, and he started humming as they swayed and spun in circles. They hugged each other close, smiling and whispering to each other as they danced, most of the guests in tears at the soft beauty of the moment. 

Daniel turned his head mid-dance, pressing his lips against Max’s neck as they swayed. It was like Daniel was made to kiss that spot, the feeling of Max’s heart-beat pulsing against his lips. Daniel’s lips eventually peeled off his skin and instead came to rest on Max’s lips, kissing him as deeply as he dared in front of the assembled guests and children. Max curled his fingers into the collar of Daniel’s shirt, running his fingers against his skin and feeling the warmth emanate from there. 

“This still feels like we’re just dancing in our front room again,” Max whispered against his lips. 

“I know, it’s mad to think this is it,” Daniel quietly agreed. “This is it, Max, we’re finally married.”

“Took us long enough.”

“Greatness takes time, Maximus.”

Max grinned against Daniel’s shoulder before lifting up and sharing one last kiss with Daniel as the song pulled to an end. 

“I love you so much, Max Ricciardo.” Daniel whispered. 

“Love you more, Daniel Ricciardo.”

More couples came onto the floor at that point, joining the boys as they spun around and laughed. Lukas was passed over to them at some point, and Daniel held him between them, with Lukas clutching onto both of them with his arms around their necks. 

“You look so damn good in that suit,” Daniel told Max, fully admiring the way the navy blue material clung to Max’s legs and the fitted white shirt around his shoulders, tugging on the tip of Max’s black tie. 

“You look better,” Max argued, before leaning in to whisper in Daniel’s ear, “I need you to wear a waistcoat more often, because that’s a kink I didn’t know existed.”

Daniel laughed at Max and nodded. 

“I’m happy to oblige.”

Lukas had finally woken up properly and Daniel dropped him down, balancing Lukas on his shoes and holding his hands, dancing Lukas around the floor and making their son laugh. Max took a step back and made his way back to the table, perching on the edge just to give himself a moment of solace and quiet. He looked out at the dancefloor, incredibly thankful and grateful for the family that was assembled there. Daniel was waltzing Lukas around, Victoria was held tenderly in her boyfriend’s arms, his mum was dancing with Daniel’s dad, Lando was dragging Carlos up so that they could dance together, Charles loosely had his arms around Pierre, Dany was holding his daughter in one arm and Kelly in the other, and Valtteri was sat talking with Lewis and Sebastian. 

“C’mon kid, let’s dance,” Kimi murmured into Max’s ear, startling him slightly as he tugged on his arm to get him off the table and onto the floor. 

Kimi pulled Max into his arms, dancing with him gently as Max tried not to cry for a record time that day. 

“I really can’t thank you enough for being my dad,” Max told him, tears escaping despite Max’s best efforts. 

Kimi tapped his fingers against Max’s jaw, forcing Max to look up at him as he wiped away the tears. 

“I am honoured, every day, to be your dad,” Kimi told him, and if Max heard him sniffle slightly, well that was just between them. Max hugged him tight, never wanting the feeling of warmth and love and protection to leave him. 

“Thank you for everything,” Max murmured, “I couldn’t have got here without you.”

“You would’ve. You’re strong, you’re everything Daniel said you were in his vows. You may have struggled a bit, but you’d have got there. You’re stubborn as all hell, but when you look at that little boy that your mad one of a husband is dancing around, you know you’d have got there eventually.”

“We’re going to have another baby,” Max told him, laughing at the way Kimi looked close to passing out in shock, “Not yet, don’t worry. But next year, we want to have another one. And I think, honestly, that I wouldn’t even have really wanted one if you hadn’t told me it was going to be okay. You made me not scared, I know Daniel is the one who deals with me all the time, but you taught me how to be okay with having kids. And I really appreciate it.”

Max looked up at Kimi when he didn’t say anything, and was slight taken aback by the tears in Kimi’s eyes and his shaky smile, but couldn’t do anything as Kimi kissed his cheek. 

“You are going to be such a good dad again. You are the best father and the best example of a brother, Elliot is lucky to have you,” Kimi told him, kissing Max’s forehead and smiling at Daniel talking to Sebastian. 

They eventually parted, Max crying softly but happily. They both curled around their respective partners, Lukas close to falling asleep against Sebastian’s side again. 

Max was pulled down to sit on Daniel’s lap, Daniel’s arms loosely around Max’s waist, his palm resting against the flat of Max’s stomach. 

“Getting broody?” Max asked when Daniel kept rubbing across his tummy. 

“Next year can’t come soon enough. I really respect your decision to wait, you know that, but fucking hell Max,” Daniel told him before leaning in to whisper in his ear, “I love you pregnant so much.”

Max smiled and shook his head, remembering just how much Daniel had had issues keeping his hands off of Max before. 

“Another year, I promise.”

“Can’t wait.” Daniel kissed Max’s shoulder and Max laughed, stroking his hand over Daniel’s forearm and then turning his head to capture Daniel’s lips in a kiss. 

“Want kisses too,” Lukas mumbled, rubbing his eyes with his fist. Max leant across and tugged Lukas into his lap, letting him fall back into the crease of his arm as he gripped Max’s tie with his fingers. His parents happily kissed his cheeks, Daniel rubbing his fingers through Lukas’s curls as Max started to rock him to sleep, the little boy exhausted even though he was fighting every second to stay awake. 

“Slaap lekker, Lukas,” Max whispered as Lukas finally dropped off. 

They stayed sitting where they were for a while, neither of them finding a need to be up and dancing and making a fuss. It may be their wedding, but they just wanted each other. And Max, being sat on Daniel’s lap, wrapped up in his arms with their baby sleeping on Max’s lap, that was heaven. That was what they both wanted. 

Lukas would be staying with his grandparents tonight, giving Max and Daniel a chance to just celebrate their marriage together and be able to sleep in without a two-year-old climbing into their bed at 6am to wake them up. And as much as they were looking forward to getting to have a Lukas-free night, they both knew that, ultimately, they’d do anything for their little boy and there was a certain magic to spending time with him. They’d savour this last time they had with him before he’d go off to Grace and Joe for the remainder of the weekend. 

But this was their wedding. And it was just what they wanted. Lukas dressed in a tiny suit that matched Max and Daniel’s, Kimi giving Max away at the aisle, their families and make-shift racing family joined together, and Daniel trying to not sob through his vows. 

And to them it was perfect. It was their day. And they loved it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this. I really have no idea how to write a wedding bc I haven't been to once since I was seven which was 13 years ago and honestly I don't remember much other than running around drinking fruit shoots. So I really hope this was enjoyed.
> 
> Soz for torturing Max again at the start, I promise we'll have a fic one day were Max doesn't cry throughout haha 
> 
> Also, Elliot. Wonder who that could be ;)
> 
> Feel free to drop any other prompt ideas or chapter ideas you have below, I'm always happy to take suggestions or just write what the people want. Alternatively there's my Tumblr 3303andmore where I am always up for crying over Maxiel / most of formula one with you!
> 
> Drop us a comment, let me know what you think, I’d love to hear from you! Any and all feedback is welcome, and kudos make a dude happy :)


	11. The one where Seb and Kimi break Max's head

“Hey, come on in,” Max said as he pulled the door open, ushering Sebastian and Kimi into the apartment and through to the front room. 

“Where’s the little monster?” Kimi immediately asked, looking around for Lukas and finding the room devoid of him. 

“Daniel’s just getting him ready,” Max told them, watching as Kimi ushered Sebastian in to sit down. 

“Ukki!” Lukas screamed as he came running in, jumping into Kimi’s arms and letting him swing him round. 

“Hei lapsi,” Kimi murmured, kissing Lukas’s curls and hugging him tightly. “Happy birthday, Lukas.”

Lukas climbed up Kimi’s chest to press a sloppy kiss to his cheek.

“Lukas, what do you say?” Max chastised.

“Kiitos, Ukki,” he murmured. 

Kimi smiled and hugged the little boy tightly. 

“Do you want your present?” Sebastian asked, making the little boy gasp and wiggle out of Kimi’s hold and flop onto Sebastian, hugging him tightly.

“Pwease!” He squealed, bouncing onto his knees and clapping his hands.

Sebastian passed over the bag and Lukas instantly dived in, pulling the first present out instantly throwing the wrapping paper everywhere. 

“Moo!” Lukas shouted, making all the adults’ wince at the shrillness of his voice, “Daddy! Moo!”

“Yeah, Lukas, it’s a moomin, aren’t you a lucky boy!”

“Dank je, danke je, dank je!” Lukas screamed, running off to find his badger and lion toys so that he could introduce them all to each other.

“How does he have so much energy?” Sebastian asked, staring in wonder at the little boy bouncing around the room and talking in a mixture of languages between the toys. 

“That’s what raising a two year old is like,” Daniel answered, smiling fondly at his son. 

Lukas came running back into the room and flopped down, ending up lying flat on his stomach, the moomin in one hand and his badger in the other, the lion positioned infront of them.

“Do you not want your other present, Lukas?” Max asked. Lukas looked up wide eyed at Kimi and Sebastian and shuffled over, leaning contently against Kimi’s legs as he tore into the second gift. 

Lukas squealed again when the wrapping paper came away to reveal a Noah’s ark toy set.

“Wow, Lukas, what you got there, buddy?” Daniel asked, smiling at the intense grin on Lukas’s face as he clumsily showed his Papa the box. 

“’mals, Papa!”

“Yeah, you got some animals, Lukas,” Daniel repeated, subtly correcting the pronunciation, “What noise does the lion make, Luk?”

“ROAR!” Lukas screamed, bouncing up onto Daniel’s lap and roaring again and again. 

“I’ll let you do his cards,” Kimi muttered, flicking them across to land on Max’s lap. Kimi sunk down to sit beside Sebastian, his arm resting on the back of the sofa and playing with the short strands of hair there. 

Lukas eventually stopped roaring and got up to drag his moomin over and climbed onto Max’s lap, snuggling into him as Max opened the first of the two cards. Max frowned at the fact there was two, not quite sure why Seb and Kimi needed to get him a separate card each. 

The first card had a monster on the front, and Max pointed at the words as he read them to Lukas. 

“For you, Grandson,” Lukas grinned and then helped Max open it, laughing when the inside turned out to be a pop-up, “Happy birthday to our favourite boy, Lukas, love Ukki and Sebastian.”

Seeing both their names on the card just further confused Max. The other drivers had already given them Lukas’s cards when they saw them at the race a few days prior, so it couldn’t be that someone like Valtteri had simply forgotten and had just handed it to Kimi to bring over. Plus, Lukas hadn’t let go of Valtteri’s card all morning once it had been opened, so it definitely wasn’t from him. 

Max frowned across at the two, confused by the smirk on Kimi’s face. Picking up the second card, Max kept flicking his eyes up to look at them, but otherwise let Lukas rip the envelope open and let the card fall out. It was facing downwards when Max picked it up, quickly reading over the words on the front and confusion colouring his features. 

“To the best nephew ever..” Max read, confused for a moment before it suddenly dawned on him and he screamed (covering Lukas’s ears before-hand) “NEPHEW?!”

Kimi and Sebastian both started laughing, Daniel still looked confused as Max looked two seconds away from just throwing Lukas at the two men. 

“Why does it say nephew?” Daniel asked, picking up the card and actually reading the words inside. 

“Papa, what say?” Lukas interrupted, flopping sideways onto Daniel’s lap before Daniel could freak out himself. 

“It says ‘happy birthday Lukas, I can’t wait to play with you when I am born, love the baby in Sebastian’s tummy’,” Daniel read to him, Lukas cocking his head in confusion. 

Max shot up from where he was sitting and wrapped his arms around Sebastian and Kimi, hugging them tightly.

“Oh my god, I can’t believe you kept that a secret!”

“Trying to convince Kimi to wait to tell you was one of the hardest things I’ve had to do,” Sebastian grinned, nudging his shoulder against Kimi’s and making Kimi grin sheepishly. 

“He’s my son, he deserves to know he’s going to have a little brother or sister.” Kimi shrugged, which only made Daniel laugh. 

“No, you just want to tell everyone we’re having a baby,” Sebastian corrected, which made Kimi glare at him and Daniel laugh, knowing all too well that he was the same when they’d found out Max was pregnant. 

“How far along?” Daniel asked.

“Four months, due at the start of August.”

“Just as break starts,” Kimi told them, smiling fondly at Seb over Max’s head. 

Max was quiet where he sat between Seb and Kimi, a thoughtful look on his face as he looked down at his lap. 

“Max? You alright?” Kimi gently asked, rubbing his back when he noticed that he’d withdrawn into himself, just staring at Lukas. 

“Yeah…” He murmured, before smiling up at them, “Just thinking.”

He suddenly stood up and walked through to the kitchen, Lukas toddling after him and dragging his moomin across the floor. Max shut the door behind them, sliding down to sit on the floor and pulling Lukas into his lap. 

“Daddy?” Lukas questioned, frowning at him as Max buried his face in Lukas’s curls and breathed in the scent of his little boy. Lukas didn’t understand why his Daddy was sad, so he wiggled round in his Daddy’s grip and threw his arms around his Daddy’s neck, hugging him tightly and pressing sloppy kisses to his face. 

“Daddy not sad!”

“I’m alright, baby, it’s okay. I just need a hug.” 

Lukas didn’t let go and Max was incredibly thankful. The feeling of Lukas in his lap and resting against his chest grounding him and stopping that edge of panic tipping him over. He didn’t think a panic attack was imminent, he was more just upset and needed time to compose himself. And with Lukas contently cuddled into him, he knew that he could take those moments he needed to just consider everything flying around his head. 

“Max? Can you let me in?” Kimi knocked on the door and waited for Max to open the door. 

Max reluctantly shuffled away from the door and then stood up, placing Lukas onto the kitchen counter and saying, 

“Yeah, what’s up?” 

Kimi shuffled in and pushed the door shut behind him, just watching Max for a moment as he moved around the kitchen, preparing some coffee and grabbing a juice for Lukas.

“You know this won’t change anything, don’t you?” Kimi told him, watching carefully to see Max falter slightly before he carried on.

“Yeah, of course,” Max responded, a false smile on his face. 

“Max. Just because we’re having a baby, it doesn’t mean that you’re not still my kid. You’re my first, and this baby needs a big brother. You’re that brother, Max.” 

“Daddy no cry,” Lukas suddenly interjected, crying himself in worry when he saw Max rub his face. 

“I’m alright, baby,” Max whispered, lifting Lukas back into his arms and hugging him, rocking him slowly to calm him down. 

Kimi wrapped his arms around both of them, pressing kisses to both of their heads. 

“It’s not going to change anything, Max. It’s just a baby.”

Max pressed his face against Kimi’s shoulder as best he could with Lukas still in his arms.

“Is it dumb that I’m actually jealous? This kid gets you their whole life. I had to wait until I was twenty to get a proper dad.” Max asked, sounding dejected. 

Kimi frowned and pulled back to look at Max. 

“It’s not dumb, Max. But, you can use that. The way you’re raising Lukas, he’s already different to you. You’re showing him how to grow up and trust people, and he’s happy, Max. That’s what you’re going to do for the baby. They need a brother that can do that for them. You’re already a good brother to Victoria, you’re an even better father. Nothing’s going to change.”

Max nodded and pulled away. 

“Yeah, I guess I knew that, just need to convince myself of it. Coffee?” Max asked. Max knew that Kimi was frowning even deeper at his sudden change of subject, but he couldn’t stay on the topic. 

He just needed some time to process everything. 

Max made some drinks and Kimi took two off him, whilst Max grabbed Lukas off the counter and passed him his juice. Lukas kept his hand curled around Max’s knee, determined to look out for his Daddy as they returned to where his Papa was too. 

Lukas pulled Max down to sit with him on the floor, wanting to play with his new toys that he’d received for his birthday but unable to get into the boxes without adult intervention. 

“You’re going to be the best dads,” Max eventually said much later into the day, smiling a proper smile up at Kimi and Seb as Lukas sat playing on his lap, running his hand over Lukas’s head before continuing, “This little guy definitely needs more uncles, so if you could have a boy that’d be great, because he’s only got like twenty uncles, so I think he’s lacking in the male-influence department.”

Sebastian grinned at Max’s joke and Kimi rolled his eyes. 

But they knew that ultimately it was Max just accepting that things were going to be okay. There was going to be a baby join them in August, and none of them expected that. But it’d be alright. 

Max had no idea what he’d do if they had a girl though. 

He wasn’t actually sure how to look after girls.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did I spend 15 minutes staring at my ceiling screaming 'I HATE COMING UP WITH CHAPTER TITLES' as my boyfriend laughed at me?
> 
> Yeah, yeah I did. 
> 
> But yeah, this was fun. It's kinda my first sorta play with seeing how I want to broach other driver relationships with kids, and so this kinda will probably prelude a spin-off series of Other Drivers with Babies / Kids. 
> 
> So yeah, feedback is more than welcome and I am always up for anything I can do to improve this series / what else would like to be seen. 
> 
> Feel free to hit me up on my Tumblr 3303andmore if you want to just come and cry over maxiel with me.
> 
> Drop us a comment, let me know what you think, I’d love to hear from you! Any and all feedback is welcome, and kudos make a dude happy :)


	12. The one where the team principles argue over who gets to hold the baby first

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lilo_93 asked if we could see 'Maybe one with meeting Christian and Toto wolff. I think toto will be a softy if he sees lukas <3'
> 
> And it took me a while to see how I wanted to do this, but I hope you enjoy this and Lilo_93, I hope I didn't disappoint you!
> 
> It's just a short one from me today lads, I hope that's okay, but this just seemed like an appropriate length for now. It's set to be at the same time as the end of chapter 5 (The one where the other drivers get to meet Lukas), when Max and Daniel take Lukas to the France GP :)

Even with Max still being a Red Bull driver, it wasn’t until Lukas was three months old and visiting at the French Grand Prix that Christian got to meet the newest member of the team. 

And Christian _knew_ that Lukas had been at the track for more than a few hours and he still hadn’t had chance to meet the baby. 

He’d heard Alex wandering around Toro Rosso, chatting about how small and precious Lukas was. Someone had even mentioned Antonio Giovinazzi had been tasked with looking after Lukas whilst Max slept! And Christian had been free the entire time!

Max eventually had wandered back to Red Bull, but when Christian realised that Max didn’t even have Lukas with him, he was tempted to kick him back out the garage until he returned with the baby. He just wanted to meet the newest Red Bull Racing member of the family, why was Max making it so hard for him?

“Lukas is with Daniel, I got dragged off for press work!” Max quickly defended, seeing the look of mild anger on Christian’s face. 

“You mean Cyril gets to meet him before I do?!”

“I don’t think so,” Max replied, rolling his eyes at the dramatics of his boss, “Daniel took him to the press conference instead of leaving him in the Renault garage, so probably not.”

Christian stared at Max, until Max just turned around and walked off. He watched as Max slipped into the Renault garage next door, completely bypassing Cyril and evading him as the Renault team-principle kept trying to grab Max to chuck him back out. Max slammed open a door, walked in and then exited almost instantly, only this time with Lukas in his arms and Daniel trailing after him. 

“Can you stop complaining now?” Max asked as he started to get closer to Red Bull again, only to get intercepted by Toto walking out of the Mercedes garage. 

Daniel and Max watched as the two team principles made eye-contact with each other, almost daring the other to get close to Lukas first. 

“Are they adults or children?” Daniel whispered.

“I’m starting to think Lukas is the most mature person in the paddock,” Max whispered back, “Christian already had a go at me because he hasn’t met Lukas yet.”

“Cyril just stares at him, I think he’s confused that a human can be that small.”

“You’re always confused yourself that Lukas is small, Dan,” Max shrugged, flicking his eyes between Christian and Toto who finally seemed to have come to a conclusion that they could both look at Lukas at the same time. 

“You can hold him,” Max told them. 

Christian and Toto both instantly stuck there arms out, squabbling like children to get hold of Lukas first. Max sighed as he watched, leaning against the wall and tapping his foot whilst he waited for them to stop acting like children. 

“Either stop arguing, or I’ll just take him to Ferrari and Mattia can meet him first.” Max threatened, which had both principles shut up and stare at Max. “You may be the bosses, but this is my baby.”

“You take him first,” Toto muttered, reluctantly allowing Christian to take Lukas into his arms. 

Christian cradled Lukas, staring down at Lukas as he opened his eyes and yawned, before grabbing hold of one of Toto’s fingers. 

“Hi, little one,” Christian murmured, “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Max leaned back into Daniel, the two of them smiling at the gentle manner Christian spoke to Lukas, Toto saying nothing but seemingly enamoured with the baby that would not let go of his finger. 

Christian rocked Lukas gently, a small grin on his face before he looked up at Max and Daniel.

“He’s lovely, boys,” Christian said.

“He’d be lovelier in silver,” Toto told them, which had Christian turn to glare at him and Max raise an eyebrow.

“You offering me a 2021 seat?” Max asked.

“I’m offering Lukas one,” Toto corrected, “But you can have one too.”

Max’s face remained neutral, but when Daniel looked at him, he could see the careful consideration behind his eyes. Giving Max a drive at Mercedes was everything that he could expect and arguably want. Whether he actually took it, however, was a different story. It was _him_ that had wanted Max to drive the silver arrows one day, and whilst Daniel knew that Max would probably end up driving there one day, Max was still fighting the memory of _him_ pushing Max away from Red Bull towards a Mercedes drive instead. 

Red Bull promised Max a championship winning car. Daniel expected that they would give him one. Whether Max stuck around to drive the championship winning Red Bull was something they’d talk about over the next year. Max would make his decision by August next year, and Daniel would probably have to sit up with Max late into the night whist he panicked over his decisions. 

But that was a problem for next year Daniel. 

This year Daniel just had to deal with team principles plotting ways to steal his only son. 

“Stop trying to steal my baby,” Max said, almost as though he was reading Daniel’s thoughts.

Toto was now holding little Lukas in his arms, and Daniel was amazed by how _small_ Lukas seemed in Toto’s arms. The Mercedes team principle was gently rubbing his finger down the bridge of Lukas’s nose and smiling softly. 

Daniel was almost tempted to take Lukas and run. He’d never seen such gentleness on Toto’s face, and it might have scared/worried Daniel a little bit if he wasn’t sure that Toto was just one of the most gentle and softest people whenever you put a baby in his proximity. 

“Are you kinda creeped out by the absolute heart eyes Christian is giving Toto as much as I am?” Max whispered, his lips brushing the shell of Daniel’s ear with how close he was. 

Daniel looked over at the two principles and immediately furrowed his eyebrows.

“Yeah okay, that is a bit weird, is there something we should know about?” Daniel whispered back, looking at the two suspiciously. 

Max shrugged and smirked. 

“Maybe that’s how Red Bull plan on giving me a winning car, Christian just fucking the Merc specs out of Toto and using them to improve Red Bull.”

Daniel gagged at the idea of Christian and Toto being _together_, which immediately had Max double-over laughing. 

“Never say that ever again,” Daniel warned, before joining Max in giggling. 

Christian and Toto were both staring at them, confused as to why the pair were laughing as hard as they were. And every time one of them tried to stop laughing, they’d catch the other’s eye and then just keep laughing. At one point, Max was just on his knees, sob-laughing into the concrete floor and struggling to catch his breath. 

“Are you sure it’s safe to give Lukas back to those two?” Toto muttered as he and Christian slowly backed away from the drivers. Lukas had long-since fallen asleep in Toto’s arms and they planned on using Lukas’s sleepy state to keep hugging the adorable little baby for a while longer. 

“No, give us back the baby,” Daniel laughed, helping Max up and wafting his hands in front of his face to try and calm himself from his laughter. 

Toto reluctantly handed Lukas over to Daniel once the elder driver had calmed himself down. 

“If you need someone to watch him…” Toto trailed off, awkwardly waving back and forth between Lukas and himself. 

Max was still wiping away the tears as he nodded. 

“Yeah, you’ll be called up on that,” Max thanked, smiling slightly. 

“He’ll be too busy in the Red Bull garage, we have more than enough people to watch him,” Christian argued. 

Max and Daniel looked at each other and let out big sighs as Christian and Toto started arguing about the appropriate conditions and people to look after Lukas. 

They loved their son. They really did. 

But damn did he get argued over a lot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am always up for any writing prompts that you wanna drop or even just tell me what you think. I really like hearing from this little community :)
> 
> Feel free to hit me up on my Tumblr 3303andmore if you want to just come and have a nosy at what goes on in my brain. I've finally started posting on there and you might be able to see some sneak peaks of things I've got coming up if you feel like having a look / im making memes to take the piss outta myself and it's fun :D!
> 
> You can also direct any prompt / fic requests at my Tumblr if you so wish, I do not mind. I keep a record of everything I am asked for so please, always feel free to just send me a message on Tumblr or drop a comment down below, I'm down for anything really, and if it's something I am either a) not sure / comfortable with, or b) am down for but will probably take a while to do, I'll always let you know.
> 
> Kudos & Comments are always appreciated and


	13. The one where Lukas hits someone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Little Lukas loves his Uncle Lando and he'll always protect Uncle Do, even when Uncle Do doesn't want it

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Infertility
> 
> So this gets a bit heavy towards the end, and it's something that I've been questioning how I wanted to play it out. And it hurt to write, but well, I don’t have much to say. Life is sucky. And for some people it is just a bit more sucky that others.

“Lukas Daniel Ricciardo, get here now!” Max’s voice echoed through the pit lane, making the boy in question stop still, his legs poised as though he was contemplating whether to continue running.

Slowly Lukas turned around, his papa’s smile plastered across his face as his grinned up at his daddy. 

“Hi daddy,” he sang, skipping forward to wrap his arms around daddy’s legs. 

Max dropped down to his knees, pulling Lukas into his chest and hugging his kid tightly, and then pulled back and placed his hands on Lukas’s upper arms to keep him in place whilst he spoke to him. 

“What have you been up to?”

Lukas’s angelic smile dropped slightly, 

“Nothing daddy, just playing.”

“Playing with who?”

Lukas looked down at the floor, shuffling his little black trainers back and forth. He mumbled something that Max couldn’t hear,

“What was that?”

“Elliot,” he muttered, dropping Kimi’s son in it, “But we din’t do nuffin wrong Daddy.”

Max sighed and picked his son up, holding him on his hip, and starting to walk over to the garage to grab Daniel. 

“That’s not the story I heard. Let’s get Papa and then we’ll talk about it, yeah?”

Lukas nodded and tucked himself against Max, resting his head on Max’s shoulder, rubbed his eyes and tried to reach for the toy honeybadger in his Daddy’s pocket. 

“Daddy, want badge please.”

Max passed the toy up and made sure to keep a hand on it in case Lukas dropped it. He was not spending another day running around the track looking for this damn toy when Lukas inevitably dropped it. Lukas rubbed the toy against his face and waved at people as they passed, his little face slightly obscured by the red bull team cap he was wearing. 

“Dan, can we borrow you for a moment?” Max stuck his head into the garage, making sure to keep Lukas out of sight incase Daniel was busy and couldn’t join them. 

Max really didn’t want to deal with a temper tantrum if Lukas saw his papa and couldn’t join him. 

“One sec, sexy butt, and I’ll be with you.”

Max turned back to Lukas, bouncing the boy and making him laugh. He noticed that Kym Illman was taking photos of him and Lukas, but he wasn’t bothered. The photos were always nice and Max knew for a fact that Dan saved them all to his phone. He even had one of the photos set as his lock screen. Sentimental bastard. 

“What’s up, gangster?” Max heard, a kiss pressed to his cheek and an arm going around his waist. 

“Papa!” Lukas screeched and reached out for Daniel, pressing messy kisses to his face.

“Apparently, Lukas has been channeling his inner boxer and we’ve had an issue,” Max told Dan.

Lukas fell back into Dan’s arms with a pout, 

“I din’t do nuffin, Papa!”

Dan raised an eyebrow at Lukas, only for Lukas to look up at him with the biggest puppy eyes a five year old could muster. Eyes that reminded him of Max every damn time he looked into them. 

Max motioned for Dan to walk into the Red Bull garage, and he watched as it dawned on Lukas just what was happening. Christian was stood to one side, Kimi next to him with Elliot trying to climb up him. 

“Lukas, do you want to tell Papa what you did?”

Lukas shuffled on his feet, his hands toying with his little badger and his eyes down.

“I didn’t meant to Papa.”

Dan dropped down to his knees and made Lukas look up at him. 

“What happened, Lukas?”

“They made Uncle ‘Do sad,” he told him, looking out towards where he was hoping he could see Lando, “They told him he wasn’t gonna be ‘llowed to drive next year and he looked sad.”

Elliot stopped trying to climb up Kimi’s legs and wandered over to his friend, taking his hand in his and smiling comfortingly at him. The two little boys looked longingly at their parents, both of them with wide blue eyes that tried to protest their innocence. 

“Luk, what did you do?” Daniel asked, kneeling down and holding Lukas’s tiny hand in his. 

Lukas fidgeted and looked across to Elliot, wiggling on the spot before he said,

“Uncle ‘Do was talking to Zak and Zak said that Uncle ‘Do won’t be ‘llowed to drive if it happens and Uncle Do was sad and so me and Elliot tried to hug Uncle Do, but he didn’t let us and he walked off and Zak said that Uncle Do was just being silly so I hit him where it hurts, Papa.”

Elliot rocked side to side, smiling widely at the adults toothily.

“He did it hard, Dada,” Elliot announced, looking at Kimi with no regret or remorse.

Max watched as Daniel tried to hold back his laughter. There was something about the way in which little kids would admit guilt that Daniel still found hilarious, and Max knew that if Lukas and Elliot caught sight of Daniel trying not to laugh, it would only further reinforce the behaviour and they’d be prone to doing it again. He lifted his foot and gently kicked Daniel in the small of his back. When Daniel turned to look at him, Max motioned for Daniel to move out the way. 

Max squatted down in front of the two boys, making them both look at him. 

“You said, if it happens. If what happens to Uncle Lando?” Max asked. 

The two boys looked at each other and then back at Max. 

“I don’t know, Daddy.” Lukas told him, worrying his bottom lip between his teeth. 

“Do you promise? You really don’t know?”

Lukas held his tiny hand up and had Elliot do the same. They presented their pinkie fingers to Max and linked them with his. 

“Promise Daddy.”

“Pr’mise Maxy.” Elliot agreed. 

There was a cry coming from Max’s drivers room and Max turned to the sound. 

“I’ll deal with him,” Daniel told him, “You going to Mclaren?”

Max nodded and then looked at Kimi. 

“I’m going to take Lukas to apologise to Zak.”

“Take El too, he needs to say sorry too.”

Max stood up and took hold of the kid’s hands in each of his. Lukas looked longingly at Daniel as he walked off, no doubt wanting to go and help Daniel rather than be forced to apologise. Elliot just skipped happily at Max’s side, singing some nursery rhyme as they walked down the few garages, Kimi trailing behind them. 

“Daddy, I don’t wanna say sorry, he made Uncle Do sad!” Lukas whined, tugging on Max’s hand as Max nearly had to drag him into the Mclaren garage. 

“Lukas you have to say sorry, you know hitting people is bad.”

“HE MADE UNCLE LANDO SAD!” Lukas screamed, pulling everyone in both the garage and the rest of the paddock’s attention to him. Lukas started crying as Max dropped to his knees and pulled him into a hug. Elliot wrapped his arms around Lukas’s waist from behind whilst Max ran his hand over his son’s head, shushing him and gently rocking him. 

“Lu, I know, I know he’s sad. But next time, just ask if you can hug Uncle Lando, or go find Uncle Carlos, okay? You can’t hit people. When I hit someone, I got told off, didn’t I? Daddy got a penalty and told to say sorry, so you need to do the same. Do you understand? I’m not angry at you, Lukas, I just need you to understand that hitting people is bad,” Max explained. He held Lukas by the shoulders and waited for him to calm down. 

Lukas nodded sadly. 

“I know… but Uncle Lando didn’t want a hug. He didn’t want me, Daddy.”

Max frowned. Lando always wanted Lukas around, he always wanted to sit with the little boy on his lap and have him sleep over at his and Carlos’s and get hugs off him. More often than not, Max would find Lukas curled up in the Mclaren garage with Lando. Five years and Lando was still absolutely enamoured with Lukas, just waiting to get his own baby. 

Oh.

“Right, Lukas, you apologise to Zak, okay? Then go with Ukki and Elliot and we’ll talk tonight, okay?” Max reasoned. 

Lukas shimmied out of Max’s grip and picked up Elliot’s hand, walking over to Zak and tugging on his trouser leg to get his attention. 

“’scuse me, Mr Zak.”

Zak turned and knelt down, nodding at Max and Kimi, and then looked at the two little boys in front of him.

“Am sorry Mr Zak for hitting you. I won’t do it again.”

“Sowwy Mista Zak,” Elliot parroted, grinning widely. Clearly, he still didn’t entirely understand the value of apologies, but at least he tried. That’s what was important. 

“It’s alright, boys. I accept your apology,” Zak told them, shaking both boy’s hands when they lifted them up. He smiled and shook his head.

“They’re a good set of boys,” Zak said to Kimi and Max. They both just smiled and nodded. They were a good pair of kids. Most of the time. 

“Right, Lucky, you go with Ukki now. Zak, is it alright if I have a chat with Lando?” Max asked, ferrying Lukas towards Kimi and then heading towards Lando’s room when Zak gave him a nod. 

“Bye Daddy!” Lukas shouted, waving frantically and then running off down the paddock, Elliot in tow as Kimi followed after them. 

“Lando? It’s Max, can you let me in?” Max knocked on Lando’s door, hearing the man sniffle before the door was pulled open. 

“Hey, what’s up?” Lando kept his head down and quickly turned his back to Max, letting Max shut the door behind himself. 

“Want to tell me why you don’t want my five-year-old to hug you?” Max asked gently. It was the same tone he used on Lukas when he was upset but trying to hide it. 

“No,” Lando told him, but then he turned around, and Max saw the tears streaming down his face as he fell forward into his arms. 

Lando and Max had been friends a long time. And Max had seen Lando cry a lot. But he could still count on one hand the number of times he’d hugged Lando. He cradled Lando to his chest in much the same way that he had Lukas not five minutes prior. 

“Lando, baby, it’s okay.”

“It’s not okay, I’m fucking broken. Why do you get it all, the husband, the good car, the babies, and I can’t even get my stupid body to have one?” Lando sobbed, his knees buckling underneath him. He would’ve fell had Max not been holding him so tightly. 

“You’re not broken Lando, fucking hell, you’re not. Don’t say that, man. Shit happens and you’re just incredibly unlucky, it doesn’t mean you’re broken. I know it sucks-“

“No you don’t! You don’t know it sucks because you’ve had babies. I can’t even look at them, I can’t. All I see is how I can’t do it, Max. I can’t do it,” Lando was sobbing hard, barely able to capture his breath before another sob ripped through him, “I just wanted to do this for Carlos and I can’t.”

“Lando…” Max whispered. He had no idea what to say. He really didn’t. He didn’t know what it was like to have your body betray you. Max had been blessed already with babies. Lando hadn’t been. 

“I just want a baby, Max. Why can’t I?” Lando looked at Max, his eyes swimming with tears and his body shaking with sobs. 

“I don’t know, Lando, I really don’t.”

Max really didn’t know what to do. He had kids. He’d been lucky enough to experience it all already. And he didn’t know how awful it was to have to suffer through what Lando was going through. The only thing Max did know was that he would be there for his friend, hold him through the pain when Carlos couldn’t, and provide his children for when Lando was comfortable being around them again and needed the warm and safe hugs of children. 

“You’ll work it out, little one. Everything will work out in the long run.” Max ran his fingers through Lando’s curls and wiped his tears away. “And when you’re ready, the boys will hug you tighter than you’ve ever been hugged.”

Lando nodded against Max’s shoulder. He didn’t say anything else, just staying curled up against Max and sobbed his little heart out, scrunching his face up and rubbing his fists across his eyes. 

Max sighed deeply. He’d started the day trying to convince his eldest son to eat porridge and he was ending it with Lando sobbing into his chest that he couldn’t even get close to having one himself. There was evil in the world, and then there was denying Lando the opportunity to have his own child. That, that was just a new kind of evil.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I AM SO SORRY LANDO I LOVE YOU AND I PROMISE THINGS WILL END HAPPILY FOR YOU AND CARLOS. 
> 
> So yeah, please let me know what you think. This is my first venture into this kind of story of dealing with issues in pregnancy. The ‘I’m broken’ is something I heard a lot when a friend’s sibling struggled with pregnancy and it’s awful to see someone go through it, but ultimately they’re okay and life goes on, even if it doesn’t seem like it. And if you / someone you know ever goes through this, just know you have my love and care sent your way. You are not broken. You are never broken. You are worthy of good things in life. 
> 
> On a lighter note..
> 
> Babies, huh, Max? More than one? I wonder what that’s alluding to ;)
> 
> As always, kudos and comments are loved and appreciated. 
> 
> Tumblr is available at 3303andmore if you want sneak peeks at my fics / what’s going on in me noggin / to see me make memes about my writing. 
> 
> I actually posted a sneak peek from this fic on my tumblr this afternoon, as a way of holding myself accountable for the fact that I’ve committed myself to trying to finish up as many of my WIP’s (theres 30+ lol) before the end of the year so I can further expand on universes like this one and explore other ideas for follow up fics / new ideas I come up with. I commute to uni and walk a pup every day so ya know, I have a lot of thinking time to come up with things haha
> 
> Fic requests are always welcome, either in the comments or over at my tumblr.
> 
> Thank you very much for reading and take care of yourselves❤️❤️


	14. The one where Max is a pole sitter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I started writing this before Max got his pole stripped of him in Mexico, but as the tags say, this is my AU and I do what I want, so let's have happy bois with Max's pole that he deserved to keep regardless of what the dickbags said (yes I will fight the FIA if I ever came into contact with them)

His first pole since coming back. 

Max jumped out of the car and instantly threw his hand in the air, pumping it in excitement at the joy of beating Charles. He saw the two Ferrari’s sandwiching his car, could see the barely concealed anger being directed at him from Charles, but he didn’t care. Mexico was his grounds. His place. His wins. 

And putting it on pole was exactly the way he planned on this weekend going. 

Max pulled his helmet off and handed it over to someone, he barely even took in who it was as he looked around at the crowds and grinning, waving and laughing as the atmosphere killed him. A hat was handed to him and he quickly ruffled his hair before pulling it on, seeing Paul Di Resta quickly approaching him with the microphone to do the post-qualifying interviews. 

“Max, a sensational lap, how does it feel, first pole after coming back, it’s gotta be a special one surely?”

“For sure,” Max responded, the grin never once fading, “I was hoping to get pole, and then to absolutely smash it like we did, big thanks to the Honda guys and all the boys back in the garage, it’s just been awesome.”

“Does it mean more, being Mexico? Twice you’ve won here, are you confident that this is a sign of how things are going to go tomorrow?”

“I mean obviously we can’t be too sure, but we’re hopeful that-” Max cut off his words as he saw Daniel walking towards him, Lukas held on his hip with his little Red Bull noise-mufflers over his ears. 

Max stepped away from Paul and walked over to join his family, forgetting he was even meant to be in the interview. Lukas reached out for Max and Max gladly lifted him into his arms before pressing a kiss to Daniel’s lips. 

“Congrats, pole-sitter,” Daniel told him as he wrapped an arm around Max’s waist. 

“I’m sorry about your quali,” Max replied morosely, but Daniel just shrugged.

“Kinda glad it went wrong, I was hoping that I could bring him to you, he got to watch you take pole, and our boy needs inspiration if we’re gonna get him in a kart anytime soon.”

Max cradled Lukas to his chest, giving Dan a look that screamed ‘hell fucking no’. 

“You’re meant to be in an interview, Maxy,” Daniel reminded him, seeing the way the cameras were trained on them and Paul was just smiling, letting them have their moment. “You want me to take him?”

“Nah,” Max told him, “He can do the interview with me.”

Daniel nodded and quickly kissed Max again before walking off, clapping Seb and Charles’s hands as he walked past in congratulations. Max held Lukas in one arm on his hip as he turned back to Paul, a mildly sheepish grin as he tried to remember where he’d finished speaking. Lukas was content to play with the collar of Max’s race suit, pulling it into his mouth and sucking on it, his wide blue eyes looking up at his Daddy as he felt Max’s chest vibrate with every word. 

Max successfully managed to get through the interview, intercepting a few of Lukas’s flying hands as he tried to get his Daddy’s attention before they could smack him in the face. Paul kept smiling at Lukas, reaching out and letting the baby play with his finger when he got bored of Max’s collar. 

“Congratulations again, Max, best of luck tomorrow, and thank you for a great interview Lukas,” Paul ended and shook both Max and Lukas’s hands before moving off to talk to Charles. 

Max swapped over to stand with Seb. Seb ran his fingers over Lukas’s hair and smiled at Max,

“He looks so like Daniel with these curls.”

“I always said he would, right from the minute we met him.”

Max and Seb kept up a quick conversation whilst Charles was being interviewed. Lukas seemed content to just lean against Max’s shoulder and look out at the crowds, his eyes fixated on something in the distance that was moving around. Lukas giggled and clapped his hands before trying to pull Max’s attention to what he was seeing, pointing aggressively in the distance and looking at his Daddy. 

“What you seeing, buddy?” Max looked out and smiled, seeing Lukas’s attention being pulled back continuously to a flag moving in the wind. 

“Yeah that’s the Mexico flag buddy, don’t worry, you’ll see it a lot growing up, we’ll have you a flag aficionado in no time,” Max told him, more than aware that Lukas couldn’t hear him but he didn’t care. Talking with Lukas was one of the best things, just knowing that himself and Daniel were going to be the ones to teach this tiny boy just what to expect from the big wide world was one of the best feelings. 

“You’re a good dad,” Seb told him, causing Max to blush slightly and avert his eyes. 

“Thanks,” He mumbled, almost relieved when Seb got pulled away to do his interview. As proud as he was of Lukas, it was still somewhat nerve-wracking and awkward when other drivers told him he was good with his son. A small part of him was convinced that there was some sort of subtext that they were surprised he could be so loving and caring when his own father had been such a piece of shit. 

But Max knew half of that came down to Daniel. Daniel, who had held him and kissed him and comforted him and cared for him, had helped him figure out how to parent when all he wanted to do was curl up in bed and cry because he couldn’t get Lukas to stop crying or get Lukas to feed, feeling like a failure of a parent and worried he’d end up like his father. 

But Daniel would convince him differently every time. Telling him that Max would never be his own father, make him realise he couldn’t ignore his own child for weeks just for an accident. 

“Hey, congratulations man,” Charles awkwardly smiled as he came to stand next to Max.

“Thanks mate,” Max replied, smiling back awkwardly before focusing his attention back onto Lukas. 

Only Lukas wasn’t having that. Upon seeing Charles, he let out a sound and reached out towards Charles, wanting to be held by him. Charles took a step back, and Max knew that if it was Daniel holding Lukas right now Charles wouldn’t hesitate to lift the boy into his arms, but because it was Max he was more reluctant.

“Here, he just wants a hug,” Max told Charles and handed Lukas over, seeing the way his son smacked his hands against Charles shoulder before dropping his head to rest there. 

Max took the brief moment of respite to stretch his arms, somewhat glad that the weight of Lukas had been spared for a moment. Charles pulled faces at Lukas for a moment, letting him prod and poke at Charles’s features before Lukas started to fall asleep, whining and fussing at the headphones covering his little ears. 

“I’ll take him back to Dan,” Max told Charles as he lifted Lukas back into his arms, “He’s just tired.”

“Me too, kid, me too,” Charles told Lukas, before smiling at Max and holding out his hand to shake, “You did good, it’s going to be a good race tomorrow.”

“You too mate, I’ll see you on the podium.”

The two smiled one last time and Max turned on his heel, rocking Lukas slightly as he fussed and whined more, pushing at his headphones to try and remove them. Max pulled them off and balanced them in the hand holding Lukas and then pressed Lukas’s head tightly against him, his palm covering Lukas’s ear so that the sound was muffled and not as painful for his tiny ears. 

“Daniel, he wants to go to sleep,” Max told him as he walked into the Renault garage, ignoring the glares he was getting from Cyril. 

Daniel quickly pulled Lukas into his arms and wandered through to his driver room, placing Lukas on the sofa and sitting down beside him. 

“Go get your prize, Maxy, I’ll sort little dude out,” Daniel told him, gently pushing Max back out the door even though he could see that Max just wanted to stay with them both, sitting on the floor of Daniel’s tiny driver room and watching Lukas sleep. 

Max reluctantly left after dropping a kiss to both his boys heads, ruffled Daniel’s curls and smirked playfully at him at the glare he received. 

“Love ya,” Max told him as he wandered back out, purposefully bumping into Cyril as he walked past. 

“Oops, sorry, didn’t see you there.” Max cheeked but walked away before Cyril could do anything. 

Max wandered back through the paddock, ushered along until he was back where he should be. He loved bringing Lukas along with him during this stuff, getting to unite two of the things he loved more than anything together and Lukas loved looking at the sights and sounds more than anything, all of it intriguing to his six-month old eyes. 

He stood at the wall, signed the tyre and posed for the picture, and then walked back off, wanting to just get the interviews done and get back to the hotel to spend the rest of the evening celebrating with Daniel and Lukas. The time in the press pen seemed to take even longer than normal as he hurried through his questions as well as he could without being rude. He just wanted to get back to his family. 

Daniel met him outside his own driver room, the Red Bull team more than happy to accommodate Daniel hanging out in the garage if it meant they got to hang out with Lukas. Anything that made their number one driver happy they were happy to do. Lukas was still asleep against Daniel’s chest, slumped in his hold as he snoozed. Max let Daniel into the room and started to pull his suit off, Daniel staring appreciatively as the race suit came off and the tight-fitting fireproofs clinging to every inch of his body. 

“If Lukas wasn’t here right now I’d jump you this instant,” Daniel told him, making Max roll his eyes and shove Daniel slightly. 

“You’re beautiful, you know that don’t you?” Daniel carried on, reaching out and rubbing his hand across Max’s stomach. Max flinched under him, almost shying away from the touch, still a bit insecure about his body since having Lukas, even though he knew Daniel couldn’t stop praising him. 

“Don’t, baby, don’t. I love you and I love the way you look. It gave us a beautiful little kid and you are gorgeous.”

Whilst Max didn’t entirely believe him, he knew that Daniel wasn’t someone that would lie to him just because he wanted to. 

“I love you,” Max told him, pulling off his fireproof shirt off and quickly shrugging his Red Bull shirt on, his race suit still around his waist. 

Daniel smiled up at him, still rubbing every inch of Max that he could reach until Lukas stirred against him and woke up, whining to be fed. Max grabbed a bottle that had been made up earlier and quickly went through to the catering area to warm it up, before handing it to Daniel when he got back to his room so he could finish changing. 

Lukas settled down quickly, his hands coming up to rest against the bottle as his eyes kept a hold on Max, watching him wander around the room. 

“You okay to just go back to the hotel? I don’t know what you wanna do food wise?”

“Honestly I’m just good for some room service and a Netflix sesh, I don’t think I’m up for going out either,” Daniel agreed. 

Max nodded and packed his backpack up with Lukas’s few things and his remaining items, shoved his cap back on his head and shouldered the bag. 

“You carrying him?”

“I’ve got him my dude,” Daniel replied, giving Lukas chance to burp up his feed and then placed him on the sofa so he could get Lukas’s rain jacket on him. The jacket was a bright orange tiger, and Max smiled every time he saw it. 

Daniel pulled his own bag on and lifted Lukas into his arms and taking hold of Max with his free hand. Jake came in, took the mini Pirelli and anything else spare that they hadn’t already gathered up to take back to the hotel. 

By the time they’d got back to the hotel, Lukas had fallen asleep in his car seat and Max wasn’t much more awake, having fallen into Daniel’s side and started to doze off. 

“Maxy, we’re back, wake up,” Daniel gently shook Max to rouse him, startling Max to full consciousness. 

Max blinked away the sleep and climbed out after Daniel before walking round to the other side of the car to get Lukas. Thankfully Lukas stayed asleep as they rode the elevator up to their room and left him to sleep for a bit longer in his seat. They knew they should wake him up otherwise it would be a pain to get him to sleep through the night, but both Max and Daniel were exhausted and just flopped onto the bed, Max immediately snuggling into Daniel’s chest and holding him tightly. 

“Congrats, pole-sitter,” Daniel whispered, forever mindful of the sleeping baby. 

Max smiled up at him and kissed him firmly, taking advantage of the fact that Lukas was asleep to get some quality time in with Daniel. But, of course, Lukas always seemed to know just what his Dads were planning and the two were interrupted by Lukas’s little babbles as he woke himself up. 

“Order some dinner, I’ll sort Lukas out,” Daniel told him, pushing Max to lay on the bed properly whilst he went off to Lukas. 

Max quickly ordered some food and put the phone down. He hated talking on the phone even after all the interviews he’d done, he still hated it. Before he joined Daniel and Lukas, he pulled off his Red Bull gear and grabbed an old baggy white t-shirt of Daniel’s, letting the material fall over him and grabbed a loose pair of shorts to get the jeans off his legs. 

“What you two up to?” Max asked as he walked through to join them. 

Instantly a smile broke out on his face at the sight of Lukas standing up with his full body weight hanging over the mini Pirelli tyre, his tiny hands clutching on and a massive grin on his face. Daniel was knelt behind him, holding Lukas’s waist to ensure he didn’t just roll straight over the tyre. 

“This was entirely his choice,” Daniel promised, smiling innocently at Max. 

“Considering that the tyre was in a bag, underneath another bag, I’m going to guess he had an accomplice that gave him the tyre.”

“It was the badger,” Daniel said, holding Lukas’s toy honeybadger up, which only made Max laugh and sit down opposite them, smiling at Lukas as he looked up at his Papa with big blue eyes and a massive grin on his face, so proud of himself for being able to stand up, even if he did have a ton of assistance. 

Max pulled his phone out, snapping a picture of Daniel and Lukas staring at each other, matching grins on their faces and quickly uploaded it to his Instagram before Daniel even noticed he’d taken the photo. 

‘Need to work on your arms a bit Lukas before you can put that tyre on Papa’s car’

Looking back through his phone, all the photos of Lukas growing up in the short six months they’d had him almost made Max cry. Seeing that tiny baby cuddled up in Daniel’s arms on his first day in the world to now standing up with Daniel’s hands around his waist six and a half months later reminded Max just how much his life had changed in this last year. Seeing their little boy grow up before their eyes was amazing, and getting to see Daniel’s joy at Lukas’s existence could wipe away all fear and anxiety Max had had in the months leading up to his birth. 

Whilst sometimes he was still scared and sometimes he didn’t know what to do, Lukas was happy. Daniel was happy. And truly that was all that mattered to Max.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did I purposefully post this chapter because it's happy and cute in order to make everyone happy because the chapter I posted yesterday was super sad?
> 
> Yep. 
> 
> Am I aware everyone is waiting to see the Child #2 fic?
> 
> Yep :)
> 
> As always, kudos and comments are loved and appreciated.
> 
> Tumblr is available at 3303andmore if you want sneak peeks at my fics / what’s going on in me noggin / to see me make memes about my writing.
> 
> I'm always super up for fic requests / prompts you want to see this verse have. It can be for any couple (Simi, Carlando, George x Alex (the Tall Bois as I call them) and Maxiel are the couples I have planned, but always feel free to ask!) so feel free to either drop a comment or send me a message on Tumblr if you wanna keep things a bit more anonymous. 
> 
> I'm always super down for exploring other couples as well, or just other AUs, so always feel free to ask!! I like to experiment with different things :)
> 
> Xx


	15. The one where everything changed for the second time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everything was about to change, and this time, Max wasn't terrified

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The long awaited start of the next few chapters around Max and Daniel's second child. As seems to be the way with my writing lately, it's a three-instalment fic, so I hope you do enjoy it and it's worth the wait :)

Lukas bounced on Daniel’s knee, screaming and laughing as Daniel went faster and faster, dramatically falling to one side as he went around a corner, only for him to spin the car, causing Lukas to laugh even louder as he tried to wrestle the steering wheel back straight. 

“Papa, you crashed again!”

“You’ve got your head in the way!” Daniel argued back, making his son giggle and dramatically shake his head.

“Nuh uh, you’re bad,” Lukas grinned at Daniel, “Daddy’s better.”

Dan gasped in mock-shock, not even registering the simulator beeping at him as he tickled Lukas,

“Take that back! Tell me I’m the best! Validate me!” 

“He doesn’t know what that even means, Daniel.” Max interrupted. Lukas and Daniel both sharply turned their heads, matching mischievous grins on their faces as they looked at Max.

“Daddy! Help!” Lukas screamed, making grabby hands at Max as he tried to wiggle out of Daniel’s grip, only for Daniel to stand up suddenly and chuck Lukas over his shoulder and take off in a run out of the room, giving Max only a second to step out of the way before he got trampled by them. 

Max shook his head and laughed at their retreating backs. He’d gone upstairs to investigate where Lukas had run off to and found him ‘helping’ Daniel on the simulator. In actuality, Lukas was more of a hinderance than a help, as the little boy shouted to warn Daniel of another corner and would stick his arm out into Daniel’s line of sight, causing Daniel to nearly crash again multiple times. But Daniel never once seemed to care. Max had watched as Daniel looked at their son with such love and adoration in his eyes, letting Lukas play the role of a race engineer and take control of Daniel’s simulator time. 

A sudden force collided with Max’s legs, and he looked down at an out-of-breath Lukas clutching onto him, trying to hide behind his legs. 

“Hide me, Daddy!”

Max picked Lukas up and quickly stepped into the sim-room, hiding Lukas on the bay of the window and started to cover him with the curtain. Max pressed his finger to his lips and watched as Lukas mirrored his image. With Lukas safe, Max sat down beside him, pulling his phone out of his pocket and making Lukas giggle softly. 

“Where’s my Lukas?” Daniel sang as he came back down the corridor. 

Max felt the curtain shake against his leg as Lukas pressed his hands to his mouth, trying to keep his laughter in as he hid from Daniel. 

“Have you seen Lukas, Maxy?” Daniel questioned, nodding towards the curtain to confirm Lukas was there without alerting the boy in question. 

Max raised a thumb in response to confirm Daniel’s guess, but answered Daniel with a,

“No, I don’t, has he gone missing again?”

Lukas’s soft giggle could be heard even despite his best efforts to stifle it. 

Daniel and Max exchanged a look, both of them smiling warmly at the other. The sound of Lukas’s laugh was one of the most magical and purest things in the world, instantly putting a smile on either of their faces, regardless of how bad a day they’d had at the track. 

“Oh no, Maxy, whatever will we do?” Daniel sighed, silently stepping closer to the curtain. 

Max watched out of the corner of his eye as Lukas’s grin grew, clearly thinking he’d outsmarted his Papa. But just as Lukas made eye contact with Max, Daniel shoved his arms behind the curtain and wrapped them around Lukas, tickling the boy and making him scream again. 

“C’mon you, we need to get dressed properly,” Daniel tipped Lukas upside down again, and gently kissed Max, making Lukas demand kisses too. With Lukas still upside down, Max pressed a kiss to Lukas’s forehead and tousled his curls. 

“Please don’t dress him like a banana,” Max asked, giving Daniel a look that said there’d be trouble if he did. 

“He loves his banana costume!”

“It’s a formal event, Dan. No banana.”

Even Lukas let out a groan in disappointment as Daniel reluctantly agreed. The two of them looked at Max with near identical puppy-dog eyes, but Max stood his ground and stared at Daniel. 

“Nice clothes, please.”

Daniel pouted. Max smiled. 

“In fact, his clothes are already on top of his dresser,” Max told Daniel, having already anticipated this would happen and pressed a kiss to his lips before slinking off to their room to finish getting ready himself. 

He knew he had plenty of time whilst Daniel fought Lukas into his clothes to get himself ready and search out some clothes that wouldn’t be too close-fitting. Getting Lukas ready for anything was a good half-hour task, as he became almost a stone whenever someone tried to change him. Max could hear Daniel trying to reason with their toddler and persuade him that putting on these clothes would be just as fun as it meant getting to go somewhere cool. Max doubted the reasoning would work, but it still filled his heart whenever he heard Daniel parent, even after nearly four and a half years of raising their first baby. He really couldn’t ask for a better person to go through this adventure with. 

Max eventually settled on wearing an old white shirt of Daniel’s, and rolled the sleeves up so that it looked a bit more casual due to its larger size. He didn’t tuck the shirt in, and found that he didn’t need to use the belt on his jeans. 

“Daddy, look at me!” Lukas exclaimed as he ran into the room, colliding with Max’s legs and hugging him tightly. 

“Handsome lad, you look just like your Papa.”

“Well of course he does, handsome sprog like that is all me,” Daniel announced, before curling his arm around Max’s waist and whispering in his ear, “Although, gotta say, you wearing my shirt, that right there is the most handsome thing in my life. If Lukas wasn’t here, you’d be wearing nothing but that.”

Max laughed and batted Daniel away, stopping him from running his hands across his body. 

“Get dressed, we have to leave soon.”

Daniel saluted Max, but didn’t make an effort to move and instead kept his eyes glued on Max’s butt as he bent down to lift Lukas out of the room. 

“Get dressed!” He ordered, making Daniel wiggle his eyebrows at Max. 

“Normally you’re telling me the opposite!”

Max rolled his eyes but smiled back.

Daniel turned up downstairs not five minutes later, dressed in some of the clothing that he’d been given by the brand they were representing tonight. Honestly, Max wasn’t even sure what the event was about, but Lukas and Daniel had been dressed up in the company’s clothing and Max thought his boys had never looked better. Max chucked Daniel the keys to the car and carried Lukas out, tucking him into his car seat and making sure he was buckled in securely before wrapping his blanket around his legs. No matter how many times Lukas claimed that he wouldn’t fall asleep, the sound of the car would always lull him to sleep. Clearly, there was some part of him that remembered those moments of being in Max’s tummy and being driven around the racetracks at 200mph. 

“I love you,” Daniel told Max as he slid into the passenger seat. 

“What do you want?” Max questioned, making Daniel laugh. 

“Nothing, I just love you. And I don’t tell you enough.”

Max vaguely let out a hum of surprise, not fully believing Daniel didn’t have some ulterior motive. 

“I love you too,” Max told him “But-”

“I love you most, Papa!” Lukas piped up from the backseat, making his parents laugh. 

Daniel reached across the centre console and laced his fingers with Max’s, looked into the rear-view mirror and told his son, 

“We love you most, kiddo, don’t you worry.”

Lukas settled back with a satisfied smirk on his face and promptly fell asleep. 

“Love him most when he’s asleep,” Max muttered as he rubbed his own eyes.

Daniel laughed, rubbed his thumb over Max’s knuckles,

“Why don’t you just have ten minutes? You look tired.”

“Well that’s a lovely thing to say to your husband,” Max spoke around a yawn, but settled his head against the window and didn’t let go of Daniel’s hand as he dropped off, following his son into the land of sleep. 

———

During the event, Max kept a hold of Lukas for most of it, either bouncing his son on his lap or hip, or keeping hold of him to stop him running off into the swarm of people that were at the event. Clearly, Daniel’s genetics had come out to play tonight, as Lukas was close to bouncing off the walls in excitement with the amount of energy he had. But Max found that Lukas was actually a good excuse for not drinking and also for being able to sit down for longer periods of time when Lukas crashed and fell asleep cuddled up in his dad’s arms. Daniel was up socialising, occasionally motioning Max over to come and meet someone, and he was drinking a lot of champagne. It was a good job Max was driving home tonight. 

Daniel flopped onto the seat at the side of Max, two glasses of something in his hands.

“Drink?”

“I’m driving, Daniel, you know I can’t.”

“We’ll just stay in the hotel across the street, one drink-”

“Not whilst we’ve got Lukas with us, I’m not drinking.”

“One drink won’t hurt, you’ll be fine.”

“Daniel, no.”

“Baby-”

“No.”

“Maxy.”

“Daniel. No. I’m not drinking.”

Lukas shifted on Max’s knee, burrowing tighter into Max’s chest and pushing his knee into his stomach. Max quickly rearranged them, pushing Lukas out and away from pressing against his tummy, knowing that with the sensitivity there was a chance Lukas’s knee digging into him could make him throw up. Daniel’s eyes narrowed onto the movement, and his previous inebriated state seemed to almost sober up immediately. 

“Maxy,” he whispered, placing the two glasses very carefully on the table as he reached out for him.

“Not now,” Max answered, but offered a little smile and a slight nod to confirm what Daniel was hinting at. 

Daniel’s eyes lit up immediately and a grin broke out across his features, tears pooling as he processed what Max was saying without actually speaking. 

“I love you,” Daniel surged forward and kissed Max whilst also being careful not to jostle and wake Lukas, “I love you so damn much.”

—————

The entire journey home, Daniel sat in the passenger seat, alternating between staring at Max, staring at Max’s tummy and looking back at Lukas. Daniel carried Lukas up to bed when they got in, carefully changing him into his pyjamas and tucking him in, whilst Max went off to make a late-night snack for them both. 

Daniel quietly pulled Lukas’s bedroom door to and shuffled off downstairs, laughing at what he found. 

Max had pulled his jeans off, leaving them draped over one of the barstools and was perched on the kitchen counter in just Daniel’s shirt and his boxers. 

“Think I need to get my other trousers back out,” Max told Daniel between crunching on an apple. 

Daniel dove forward, his hands going underneath Max’s shirt and pressing against his tummy, feeling the softness of it and the warmth that he emanated from knowing that his little baby was there. 

“Here.” Max shoved his hand into a cupboard Daniel never went in and pulled out a little box. 

“I’m pregnant,” He finally confirmed, letting Daniel rifle through the box and seeing the little stick that confirmed there was a tiny human growing in Max.

“We get to do it again,” Daniel whispered, his voice cracking as he dropped his head against Max’s shoulder, never letting go of the stick or Max’s torso, not wanting this feeling to go. 

“Are you crying?” Max asked.

Daniel hummed, not trusting his voice nor his ability to speak without getting more choked up. 

“Thought I was meant to be the hormonal one,” Max muttered. “Get me the peanut butter out the cupboard, I need it.”

“I’ll get you anything you ever need,” Daniel answered, pressing a kiss to Max’s lips and then pressing them across his face.

“Yeah, that’s real sweet Daniel, but I want the peanut butter now.”

Daniel laughed and moved away to get it for Max. They had a long few months ahead of them, and if it was anything like with Lukas, Max was going to drive Daniel up the wall with his love of peanut butter during the pregnancy, but he meant it. He’d get anything for Max and the newest little Bean. He’d do anything for his family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this, and will stick around to see the next few chapters :')
> 
> As always, comments and kudos are greatly appreciated :D
> 
> Tumblr is available at 3303andmore - there's a lot of memes and also me complaining about how many sad things I've written lately lol
> 
> I also take prompts! For pretty much anything / any AU (either in this 'verse or just others, I'm down for anything), so always feel free to drop it either down below or at my Tumblr.
> 
> Much love and thank you for taking the time to continue reading and enjoying this fic, it's just too much fun x


	16. The one where they realise they have to tell Lukas…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The start of this does have a lot of referencing to Max suffering with bad morning sickness so if that ain’t your thing feel free to do a search for “Daddy, where are we going?” And the rest of the story kicks off from there :)

“Daddy poorly?” 

Max spat into the toilet and flushed it, then turned to Lukas and held his arm out. 

“No, buddy, Daddy’s okay.” 

“But you was sick Daddy,” Lukas cocked his head and furrowed his little eyebrows, cuddling Max tightly.

Lukas climbed into Max’s lap and rubbed his eyes with tiny fists. Max rubbed up and down Lukas’s back. He and Daniel had talked about telling Lukas, knowing that it wouldn’t be long before Lukas either caught Max throwing up (which had happened much sooner into the pregnancy than it had with Lukas) or Lukas would catch sight of the bump. And yet, they still hadn’t actually anticipated having to tell their little boy that he wasn’t going to be the baby of the family anymore this early on. 

Daniel was leaning against the doorframe, looking down at his two favourite boys sitting on the bathroom floor, cuddling and smiling. 

“Do we tell him?” Daniel questioned. 

“Not yet,” Max answered whilst Lukas looked frantically between his parents, desperately trying to figure out what conversation he was missing out on, “I want to wait till the 12 week scan.”

Daniel nodded and leant down to pick Lukas up, giving Max the opportunity to brush his teeth and wash away the taste of puke from his mouth. 

“Breakfast?” 

Max’s hand flew to his stomach and he shook his head. 

“No, bad idea right now.”

Daniel laughed slightly, remembering how badly Max had messed up his eating schedule when pregnant with Lukas due to the morning sickness that seemed to just hit him at any point of the day. They’d found out about Baby Ricciardo II way earlier than they’d found out they were expecting Lukas, and Max was convinced this was his karma for actually being prepared to have a baby. Just continuous throwing up for the last few weeks and having to work out how they were going to tell a four-year-old he would have a little sibling coming at the end of the year. 

“Daddy not hung’y?” Lukas asked, looking at Max with concern. 

“Not right now, kindje, Daddy will eat later.” 

Lukas leant forward in Daniel’s arms, his hands outstretched to catch Max’s face in his hands. He gently pressed a kiss to Max’s nose and then pulled back. 

“Daddy better now.”

Max felt the tears well in his eyes and he smiled at his little boy. He’d feared that Lukas would not enjoy having a new sibling, even though he adored being at school with his friends and hanging out with Elliot and his sister. But his gentle, loving and teaching nature only seemed to grow with him as Lukas grew up, and Max knew in his heart that his little boy would absolutely adore his little sibling. Lukas loved people. He loved making people smile and laugh. Every time Max saw Lukas grin, he saw Daniel. He saw Daniel in Lukas’s personality, in his mannerisms and his face. He was a tiny Daniel in every sense of life. There was no way that Lukas wouldn’t be anything but excited to meet the new baby. 

“All better now, thank you baby,” Max kisses Lukas’s forehead. 

Lukas had a beaming grin on his face and threw his arms around Daniel’s neck. 

“Made Daddy better,” he mumbled. 

“My little superhero,” Daniel responded.

Max looked at the two of them. Their baby in Daniel’s arms and the new baby in Max’s tummy. This was going to be their family. This was their future. And if Lukas loved this baby even a smidge as much as he loved every single other person else on the planet, this new baby was going to be a very lucky child. 

—— 

“We have to tell him,” Daniel said, rubbing Max’s back as he threw up again. 

The morning sickness was getting to a point that Max seemed to be spending half his time sitting in the bathroom throwing up the little food he could normally eat. The doctors had ended up prescribing some medication that helped marginally, meaning Max was only throwing up after maybe one meal instead of numerous. But today had been a bad day. Max knew that he’d be spending most of the day in bed, hugging a water bottle to his side and sleeping off the pain in his stomach and his throat. 

Lukas had joined the bed early in the morning, climbing in between them and cuddling Max, trying to make the poorly go away, after being woken up by Max’s throwing up. Lukas had worried his little lip between his teeth, growing increasingly concerned as he stroked Max’s face and hair and screaming the house down when Daniel had tried to get him dressed for school, fighting every step of the way as Daniel tried to pull the white school polo shirt and grey school shorts on. He’d kicked and screamed until Daniel warned that he wouldn’t be able to go play at Lando’s if he didn’t calm down, which had Lukas fall quiet but tears stream down his face in worry. At some point, Lukas broke free of Daniel and ran to jump back into bed with Max, thrusting his cuddly badger at Max and mumbling something about it helping to make Max better. 

“Daddy’ll be okay, Lu, I promise.” Max brushed his hand over Lukas’s curls, pushing them back from his forehead to comfort him and then used the corner of the blanket to wipe the tear tracks and snot from Lukas’s tiny features. 

“But keep being sick, why do you keep being sick daddy?” Lukas questioned. 

Max didn’t get a chance to say anything, not sure what he would’ve said regardless, as Daniel came into the room and picked Lukas up around the waist. Their son instantly started crying, clawing at Daniel to try and get back to Max, to stay with him and make him better. 

“Lukas, enough!” Daniel eventually said, forcefully enough that Lukas went rigid in his hold. 

“Daddy isn’t well, and you screaming isn’t helping, is it?” Lukas shook his head, “So we are going to go to school, and then when you come home, you can come to bed with Daddy and make him better then, okay?”

Lukas shimmied out of Daniel’s hold and dropped to his knees on the bed.

“Love you daddy,” Lukas said, pressed a sloppy kiss to Max’s cheek, looked longingly at him for a moment and then turned around, lifting his arms up for Daniel to carry him out. 

“Love you too Lukas,” Max replied. 

Daniel leant forward before picking Lukas up, pressed a quick kiss to Max’s lips and murmured,

“Be back soon, love you.”

“Love you more.” Max replied, settling down to let sleep overtake him again. He fell asleep with a smile on his face at the sight of Daniel carrying their son out of the room. As much as the pain of throwing up hurt, the love that Max felt at the pure softness that was Daniel Ricciardo parenting made all the suffering Max was currently going through worth it. 

When Daniel got back, not even an hour later, he’d found Max sat in front of the toilet, a hand rubbing comfortingly against his stomach as he alternated between throwing up and drinking water.

“I know we have to tell him,” Max replied, spitting the dirty water into the toilet and then flushing it. Daniel helped Max up and back to bed.

“He spent the entire drive crying, he’s scared, Max. He thinks something wrong.”

“Don’t you think I know that?” Max snapped, and then instantly felt the regret wash through him and the tears spill over. 

“Baby it’s okay, it’s okay,” Daniel comforted, pulling Max onto his arms and rocking him gently. 

“What if he doesn’t want a sibling? I don’t want to upset him.” Max sobbed. 

“Max, darling, he’s four years old. He’ll cry because he can’t have a dinosaur, he’ll get over it. He loves babies, you saw how he was with Elliot and Eva, he’ll love this baby.” 

Max sniffed and rubbed his eyes, wiping away the tears. 

“You really think so?”

“I know so,” Daniel whispered, pressing a kiss to Max’s temple. 

“Can we take him to the scan? I think he’d like that.” Max said.

“Sure, saves us having to find a babysitter.” Daniel shrugged, making Max laugh. 

Daniel always found the silver lining in everything. 

——

“Daddy, where are we going?” Lukas asked for the fourteenth time since getting in the car. 

“You’ll see when you get there,” Max responded, again, for the fourteenth time since getting in the car. 

Lukas folded his arms over his chest and let out a huff. He may be a carbon-copy of Daniel in every way, but the little huff of anger at a surprise being kept from him had Max written all over it. 

“Remind me why we’re doing this again?” Max turned to Daniel, rolling his eyes at the dramatics of their son. 

“Because having that child was the best thing to ever happen to us and we want to do it again,” Daniel supplied, lifting his hand to rub his fingers on Max’s tummy. 

Max looked down at his stomach. The bump was small, bigger than Lukas’s had been at 12 weeks, but still not exactly noticeable if you wasn’t looking. And seeing as Daniel could barely keep his hands off it as it was, telling Lukas was the natural next stage in accepting that their future was going to look very different in about six months time. And Max was incredibly excited to experience it all over again.

“Daddy! Tell me!” Lukas started banging his feet against his car seat, trying to get his parents attention. 

“If you don’t stop screaming, you’re banned from going to the races for the rest of the season!” Max threatened. 

Lukas grumbled quietly under his breath, knowing that Max was serious about banning him. He’d done it last year, when Lukas had thrown a strop about starting nursery, and he’d do it again now. His child was a delight. Max really loved him. But that little angel child seemed to save his attitude up and then use it all up in one go, and if Max had to deal with the screaming one more time, he was really tempted to just get Daniel to turn the car around and take Lukas home. 

“We’re here,” Daniel announced, stopping Max from going down the trail of thoughts of just kicking his kid out. He wouldn’t. But he could dream.

“Hospital?” Lukas questioned, disappointment evident in his voice.

“We have to show you something, Lucky,” Daniel told him. 

Lukas continued to frown, but didn’t say anything. They climbed out of the car and Daniel went around to unbuckle Lukas, dropping him onto his feet. Lukas reached up to take hold of both their hands, allowing Max and Daniel to swing him between them as they walked to the maternity ward. 

“Babies?” Lukas asked, trying to peer through the windows of the rooms so he could see the little tiny babies with their families. Lukas had a small smile on his face as he was dragged along, occasionally nearly being left behind before he got pulled away from the windows. 

“I like babies, Daddy,” Lukas told them as he skipped between them. 

Daniel looked pointedly at Max, which he chose to ignore. Max was allowed to be worried, okay? His son may be proving to him every second that he’d be a great big brother, but that didn’t mean that Max was going to accept it. There was still a part of him that couldn’t even believe this was real, let alone that Daniel and he were walking their four year old son down a corridor so that he could see the scan of his new little sibling. 

“That’s good Lu, babies are cool.” Daniel said.

Lukas nodded and started singing some random nursery rhyme he’d learnt at school as he skipped between them. Max left Daniel to sit in the waiting area with Lukas on his knee whilst he checked in, smiling and chatting at the nurses on reception when they asked about Lukas. 

“Is he excited to be a big brother?” 

“He doesn’t know yet,” Max grinned, “But he will be. He’s just been going on about how great babies are.”

The nurses all aww’d at him, smiling at the way Lukas was settled contently on Daniel’s lap and gesticulating wildly, most likely telling Daniel about some weird dream he’d had. 

Max finished signing some papers and then went back to join his family. He was going to go in first, check that everything was okay with the baby, and then the consultant was going to shout Daniel and Lukas through once they knew it was all okay. 

“Good, strong heartbeat,” the Doctor said, smiling as she moved the wand over Max’s stomach. “Little one is growing very well, absolutely no worries there. Have you been told that this time you’re more likely to have the larger bump?”

Max nodded. He’d been through all this already with the nurses when he’d told them it was his second pregnancy.

“And how’s the sickness?”

“Still been bad,” Max shrugged, “The medication helps but it doesn’t always work. But it seems to be getting better lately.”

“That’s pretty standard. If it’s getting to a point that you’re not able to keep any fluids or food down, straight back to the hospital and we’ll sort things out. Anything else you want to ask about before we shout baby and husband in?”

Max shook his head. All he could think about was getting Lukas in here and letting him find out the real reason they’d brought him to the hospital. 

“Excited?” The doctor asked, seeing the grin on Max’s face. 

“Just a little,” Max replied. In his heart, Max knew he was more excited about this then he was getting his first ever drive in Formula 1 all those years ago. Fuck what _he_ said. Max could be a dad and a driver. You didn’t have to chose family or a career. Max got both. And he had a beautiful family to support his beautiful career. 

The doctor stuck her head out the door and called Daniel to come through. Max could hear the sound of Lukas’s trainers smacking against the floor as he most likely jumped and pulled at Daniel’s side to get him to move faster. 

“Daddy, are you going to sleep again?” Lukas asked when he walked in, climbing up onto the chair at the side and kneeling on it, staring at Max laying down on the bed.

“No, kindje, we want to show you something.” 

Daniel lifted Lukas up and sat down, placing him back on his lap and taking Max’s hand in his. Max smiled as Daniel lifted his hand to kiss his knuckles, then proceeded to rub his thumb across the back of Max’s hand anxiously. 

“Everything good?”

“Perfect.” Max answered, falling silent as the sound of the heartbeat filled the room. 

Lukas cocked his head and leant forward, pressing his ear against Max’s stomach as the doctor moved the wand across it. He pulled back and frowned when he couldn’t hear anything coming from his tummy, confused as to where the noise was coming from. 

“Daddy, where’s that noise coming from?”

“Look at the tv, Lu,” Daniel murmured, pointing at the screen, “Can you see that little white blob?”

Lukas nodded.

“That’s in Daddy’s tummy. Do you know what it is?”

Lukas shook his head.

“That’s a baby, Lukas. Daddy is going to have a baby,” Daniel told him. 

Lukas’s little mouth dropped open as he looked between the screen and Max’s tummy. 

“Now?” He questioned, making the adults laugh. 

“Not quite now, no. In about six months,” the doctor said.

Lukas turned to Daniel for clarification, not really understanding what six months meant. 

“Daddy is going to have the baby just before Christmas.”

“Oh my..” Lukas murmured. 

Max instantly burst out laughing, finding the shock on Lukas’s face and his little astonished gasp hilarious. 

“We gotta get ready daddy, we don’t got a bed yet!” Lukas told them, causing all the adults to just continue laughing. Any fear Max and Daniel had instantly became wiped as Lukas muttered about getting a bed for the baby to sleep in. 

Whilst Max went about wiping the gel off his stomach, Lukas leant forward and pressed his tiny hand to the spot where the doctor had shown him the baby’s head roughly sat. 

“Hi baby, I’m Lukas.”

Daniel and Max’s eyes met over Lukas’s head, both of them with unshed tears filling their eyes. The gentle way Lukas ran his hand across Max’s tummy and pressed tiny kisses to where the baby would’ve been only served to prove to them both that their little boy was definitely okay with having a new sibling. 

It was in the car driving home after getting some lunch that Lukas asked the questions that they’d been waiting to hear. 

“Daddy, is it a boy or a girl?”

“We don’t know yet, we’ll find our next month.”

“Okay...” Lukas trailed off, and Max knew there was something more waiting to be asked. 

“Any more questions?”

“How did the baby get in Daddy’s tummy?”

Max and Daniel both immediately went wide-eyed, slowly turned and looked at each other and said, 

“Dibs not telling him!”

“Did I come from Daddy’s tummy?” Lukas continued, staring out the window with a rather philosophical look on his small face, “‘cause Elliot and Eva didn’t come from Daddy’s tummy, they came from Uncle Seb’s tummy.”

Daniel continued to stare out at the road whilst Max motioned to his stomach, telling Daniel without having to actually say anything that Max was doing all the hard stuff growing their baby, Daniel could take the hard questions. Max dealt with enough of Lukas’s insistent ‘but why?’ questions every hour of the day. This was Daniel’s turn.

“You’re absolutely right, kiddo, you did come from Daddy but Elliot and Eva came from Uncle Seb.” Daniel answered, “So. Babies. They come from different people and-”

Max stopped listening as Daniel talked. Lukas was intently looking at Daniel, seeming to take in every word Daniel uttered, whilst Max ran his hand over his tummy. In a few years time, Max would gladly take this conversation himself with their newest, but right now, Max was still enjoying exploiting the ability to get Daniel to do what he wanted. He was carrying their child, he was allowed to have a break from trying to answer questions from their inquisitive four-year-old. 

——

“Daddy, I’m happy,” Lukas told him as Max tucked him in that night. 

“I’m really glad, Lukas. Are you excited to have a little brother or sister?”

“Yes! I want a brother, girls are icky.”

“But you like Eva,” Max pointed out, laughing softly. 

“But Eva’s cool, other girls are icky.”

Max leant forward and pressed a kiss to Lukas’s forehead, tucking the blankets tight around him and made sure his badger was in beside him. 

“We don’t know if it’s going to be a brother or sister yet-”

“Why?”

“Because the baby isn’t old enough to be able to find out.”

“Why?”

“When the baby grows, it starts very very very tiny. Smaller than you can EVER imagine,” Max explained, “And so as it grows up in Daddy’s tummy, it gets bigger and you can tell things about the baby then. The baby isn’t big enough to tell yet.”

Lukas nodded slowly, taking in what Max told him. He then pushed himself up and wrapped his tiny arms around Max’s tummy as best as he could. 

“I love you, even if you are icky girl.” Lukas whispered. He pressed a kiss to Max’s tummy and patted it gently, “Night night baby.”

“Alright you, bedtime now. You can talk to the baby tomorrow,” Max promised, tucking Lukas in again and turning on his nightlight. In actuality, Max was content to sit there all night and listen to Lukas talk to and about their baby, but the tears filling his eyes had different ideas. 

“Hou van je, Daddy and baba,” Lukas sleepily said, his eyes closing as a small smile graced his lips. 

“Ik hou van je, Lucky, thank you for being the best little boy in the world,” Max replied, brushing his fingers through the curls one more time before leaving Lukas to sleep. 

Daniel was sat cross legged in their bed, the sheets pooled around his waist. He was grinning as Max came in, dropping his phone onto the bed and leaning back to appreciate Max, watching Max pull his jeans off. Just as Max took his shirt off, leaving him in his boxers whilst he reached for a baggy t-shirt, Daniel leant forward and dragged Max onto the bed. 

“I have things to say, don’t put your shirt on, I need to talk to the baby,” Daniel murmured, pushing Max delicately onto his back and rubbing his hands across the bump. 

Max leant back on his elbows as Daniel pressed his lips to Max’s tummy, murmuring quietly. Max ran his hand over the back of Daniel’s head, rubbing his fingers through the curls that Lukas had inherited. He wondered if their next baby would get these curls, or if they’d have Max’s lighter, straight hair. Part of Max really didn’t care. As long as the baby was born healthy and safe, he didn’t care. But the other, more selfish, part of his heart hoped the baby would have Daniel’s curls again. The curls looked like a tiny halo on Lukas’s head, and Max found himself in love with the way they grew as Lukas got older. 

“I can’t wait to meet you,” Daniel whispered, “My little wombat.”

“Lukas told me he wants a brother,” Max told him. 

“Girls are icky,” Daniel replied, making Max laugh. 

“That’s precisely what he said.”

“I’ve trained that boy well.”

“Stop teaching him bad things!” Max laughed. 

“I’m teaching him how to be a good Aussie, he’s fine.”

Max laughed at Daniel. Daniel had taught their son many things, and Max knew that the second their new baby was here, Lukas would be the one to teach the baby everything that Daniel had taught him. 

“I can’t wait to see Lukas holding the baby,” Daniel told Max, pressing a final lingering kiss to the bump and then shifting up the bed to lay beside Max. 

“Just hope he loves them as much as he loves the idea of having a baby.” Max tiredly replied. He laid his head against Daniel’s chest, one hand protectively cradling the bump and the other curled around Daniel’s waist. 

“He will,” Daniel said with a lot of certainty, “You’ve seen the way he is with Elliot and Eva, I can’t imagine him being anything but infatuated with his new brother or sister.”

“You reckon?”

“Of course, he’s four, Max. If he says he’s excited, he is. He can’t lie.”

Max knew that Daniel was right, and as much as he knew that Lukas was absolutely infatuated with the idea, there was still an element of worry that Lukas wouldn’t like it when the baby was actually here, in their arms. He’d go from being the centre of his parent’s universe and the main attraction at races, to being the older brother of an adorable little baby who everyone fussed over. Of course Max knew that the new baby wouldn’t immediately mean no one would ever pay attention to Lukas, he had the kind of personality that commandeered a room (*cough*_Daniel_*cough*), and Max and Daniel would love Lukas just as much as they loved the new baby, but Max was still worried. 

He had no idea how to parent two children. He had no idea how to balance his time between them, what with having to do the school run with Lukas and get both the kids and himself ready, and make lunches and dinners, and do everything he’d have to do whilst Daniel was off racing. 

“Everything’s going to be alright, you know?” Daniel murmured into his hair, almost as though he could read Max’s mind, which he probably could after so many years together, “We’ll figure it out together. It’s what we do best.”

“I know,” Max replied, cuddling into Daniel a bit more.

It wasn’t going to be long before it got nigh-on impossible to cuddle Daniel like this, when the bump grew and Max’s back hurt and he wouldn’t be able to hug Daniel in the same way. Only this time, Max was ready for all of that. He just wasn’t ready for what came after it again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhh I’m soft I love this family sm
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this as much as I’m still enjoying writing it.
> 
> Please feel free to leave comments and kudos, they’re always greatly appreciated
> 
> I take requests / prompts / anything really, either for this universe or others. You can drop them down below or send me a message on tumblr (3303andmore), I absolutely adore hearing what you want to read and I’m always down to write what you want :)
> 
> (also yes, Eva :) that explanation will come soon)


	17. The one where Lukas bonds with the bump

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> An incredibly long boi. 
> 
> Settle in, grab a snack. it's 5.5k of Lukas being adorable and Max being soft for his son.
> 
> This was also inspired by pinkquill22 who mentioned about getting to see more of Max's pregnancy with this one, so I hope you enjoy :D

As the weeks passed, Lukas would spend more time sitting beside Max, talking away to the baby and telling them stories about school. Lukas’s homework was to help teach him to read, and so every afternoon when they got home from school, Lukas would order Max to sit down on the sofa and pull out his storybook. At this stage, there wasn’t any words, just pictures, a way of engaging Lukas’s imagination and getting his vocabulary growing. Max would sit back; one arm curled around Lukas and held the book open with his other hand so that Lukas could point to pictures and say things. 

“Daddy, does baby like stories?” Lukas asked one afternoon once he’d finished some long tale about a badger and a fox. Max had gotten a bit lost along the way, but Lukas had babbled on, enjoying himself nonetheless and so Max had just left him to it. 

“The baby loves listening to your stories, they move sometimes when you talk to them,” Max told him. 

Lukas gasped and rocked up onto his knees. 

“The baby can move? Can it play with me?”

“It won’t be able to play for a little while once it’s born. Do you remember when Eva was brand new, she was very little wasn’t she?”

“She was boring,” Lukas nodded. Max held in a laugh at the put-out expression on Lukas’s face. He hadn’t enjoyed having to wait for the baby to grow up before she could join him and Elliot on their adventures. 

“Well, when your baby comes, they’re going to be like that for a while. But you have Elliot and Eva to play with, and all your friends at school, so it’ll be okay, won’t it?”

Lukas nodded reluctantly, even if he did look a little sad that he couldn’t instantly introduce the baby to all his favourite games. 

“Can I teach the baby to play racing?”

“When they’re older, of course. You can help us teach the baby everything.”

Lukas brightened up a little bit at that. He’d adored teaching and playing with Elliot, clutching his hand tightly and helping him to learn how to toddle down the pit lane, and then more recently helping Elliot encourage Eva to walk. Max had watched the way Lukas interacted with Kimi and Seb’s children, saw the softness in his attitude and convinced Max that he and Daniel should try for a second baby. That and the fact that Daniel really has problems keeping his hands off of Max. 

“I can teach him to drive!” Lukas declared.

“We don’t know if it is a him yet buddy,” Max reminded him gently, “But sure, you can teach the baby to drive.”

“It’s a boy, Daddy,” Lukas said with an air of certainty to the point that Max was almost positive Lukas was right. 

“How do you know?”

“‘Cause the baby comes play with me when I sleep and it’s a boy Daddy,” Lukas said as though it was obvious.

“Does he? Did the baby tell you his name?”

“Nope,” Lukas told him, jumping off the sofa, “Just that he’s my brother and we get to play.”

Lukas ran off then to go find his toys, storming round the house as he ran his cars over the walls and across cupboards. For a while, Max kept his ears open to be sure his son wasn’t causing chaos, but otherwise leant back into the sofa, considering Lukas’s words. If Lukas was right and they were going to have another boy, Max didn’t even know what name they’d give him. Not that Max had thought of names for a girl either. But he’d kind of used the only name he’d ever even considered on Lukas and he couldn’t exactly name the baby Lukas II. 

And he definitely wasn’t calling it Wombat. No way. No matter what Daniel said. 

There may be another five months until the baby made an appearance (Max was hoping Baby Ricciardo II didn’t pull the same stunt as Lukas and turn up three and a half weeks early), but they really needed to start thinking about what they’d name the little bub.

——

“Have you actually told anyone yet?” Daniel asked one night in bed, a few days before they were due to go find out whether there was a little boy, like Lukas dreamt, or a little girl residing in Max’s stomach. 

Max slowly turned to look at Daniel his eyes wide.

“May have forgotten...” Max bit his lip as Daniel started laughing. 

“How did you forget?!”

“I’ve been busy!” Max admonished.

Daniel kept laughing, and Max jokingly hit his chest. He really had meant to tell their families, it wasn’t like they were keeping it a secret after they’d reached the safety of the 12-week mark. There was no reason for them to still not have told anyone. To be fair, Max was surprised Kimi hadn’t been in touch to tell Max that he should’ve taken a test all those months ago. He’d known about Lukas before Max had even considered having children, how Kimi didn’t know Max was expecting again he didn’t know. 

“It’s your call, baby,” Daniel said once he stopped laughing, “We can either tell people or leave it a bit longer.”

“Kind of want to leave it until the baby is born,” Max grinned, “That’d be a pretty original Christmas present wouldn’t it? Happy Christmas Mum, Happy Christmas Kimi, here’s your new grandson.”

“Baby, I love you, I really do. But if you do that, I will be a single father because Kimi will kill you.”

“Better get ready for the nightly feeds!” Max joked, causing Daniel to groan. 

“God, I forgot how bad they were.”

“Excuse me?! You weren’t the one getting up three times a night to have a child attached to your fucking body to feed him!”

“Yeah but I was there for moral support,” Daniel cheeked, before quickly distracting Max by kissing him and rubbing his hands over the bump when he saw the murderous look in Max’s eyes. 

When Daniel pulled back, the fire was still in Max’s eyes but he grinned cheekily and slid out of bed. Max watched as Daniel left the room, heard him go down the stairs and start fumbling around in the kitchen but Max left him to it. Grabbing his phone, Max rested it against the bump and started scrolling, looking at different names that they could call the little one. 

“Whatcha lookin’ at, good lookin’?” Daniel sang as he came back in, holding a bowl of something and slid in beside Max.

“Baby names,” Max answered. His eyes fixated on the bowl Daniel had in his hands and then looked up at him, feeling his lip tremble.

“You bought me apple and peanut butter,” Max whimpered. 

“Yeah, is that okay?”

Max nodded furiously, dropping his phone in between them and pressing his hands to Daniel’s jaw to pull him forward. A hint of peanut butter hit Max’s tongue as he kissed him, pushing all his love and affection into the kiss. Daniel brushed the few tears that fell of Max’s cheeks, smiling lovingly at him as he passed the bowl over.

“I really love you,” Max told him as he crunched on the apple, tears streaming down his face and peanut butter smudge on the corner of his mouth. 

Daniel reached forward and wiped it away whilst Max looked at him with red rimmed eyes. 

“Love you too, Maxy,” Daniel whispered, pulling Max to lay with his head against Max’s shoulder. 

The bowl came to sit in between them and Max went back to scrolling baby names, occasionally lifting his phone up to get Daniel’s opinion on a name. 

“Maxy, can I ask you something?”

“If it’s can you have a bit of my apple, the answer is no.”

Daniel laughed and kissed Max’s temple. 

“That wasn’t it. I will never try and come between you and your peanut butter apples. I want to talk to you about something else.” 

Max could hear the reservation in Daniel’s tone and locked his phone, throwing it at their feet and turning as best he could to look up at Daniel. 

“It’s about the baby’s name.”

“I’m listening.” Max smiled reassuringly, taking Daniel’s hand in his and rubbing his knuckles. 

\----

“And are you wanting to find out baby’s gender or leave it a surprise?”

Max and Daniel looked at each other and nodded.

“Find out. We’ve got a four-year-old to pick up from school in about an hour who keeps bugging us to find out.” Daniel confirmed. 

The doctor laughed and said,

“Yeah my kids were the same. They all just want to know everything all the time.”

“If we don’t get at least 27 questions in an hour I’m concerned about him,” Max joked.

“Ah you’ve got a little boy already?”

“Hm, Lukas.”

“Has he got a preference? Brother or sister?” The Doctor asked.

“He thinks he’s getting a brother, he said girls are icky,” Max pointedly stared at Daniel, who grinned angelically.

“Well, it’s safe to say Lukas’s Christmas won’t be ruined,” she smiled.

“It’s a boy?” Max whispered, bringing his free hand up to cover his mouth as tears sprung to his eyes. He looked across at Daniel, seeing the same look on his face.

“It’s a little boy.”

“Lukas is going to be insufferable,” Daniel joked, his voice thick with emotion. 

Max just nodded, unable to speak as he wiped away the tears.

Another little boy. Another boy that would be given all their love and affection, and taught by his big brother what it meant to be a Ricciardo in their crazy little world. 

——

“Hey, Lukas, do you know where Daddy and Papa went today?” Max asked as they sat at dinner. 

Lukas was shovelling chicken and rice in his mouth, sauce all the way around his mouth and (confusingly) on his eyebrows, and shook his head. 

“We went to see the baby’s doctor. And the doctor-”

“Did they tell you it’s a boy, Daddy?!” Lukas shouted, bouncing dangerously on his chair, before Daniel slammed his hands on Lukas’s shoulders when he nearly fell off.

“Sit still or you don’t get to know what the doctor told us,” Daniel warned. 

Lukas stilled again, looking wildly between his parents in apprehension. 

“The doctor says the baby is growing really well, and that he’s going to come in time for you to give him a hug on Christmas day.”

“I’M GETTING A BROTHER!” Lukas screamed, a huge grin breaking out on his face and climbing off his chair so that he could jump around the kitchen. 

“Alright now, Lucky, come eat your dinner before you make yourself sick,” Max told him. He managed to grab hold of Lukas to calm him down, stopping him jumping but the excitement was evident and Lukas’s tiny chest heaved with his breath and his eyes shone brightly. 

Max helped Lukas back onto his chair, smiling at how excited their son was. 

Their _eldest_ son. 

In a few months, Max would have an eldest and youngest son. 

Two little boys. 

“You’ve just realised we’re going to have Lukas 2.0, haven’t you?” Daniel asked, noticing how Max had spaced out. 

“We’re going to have two boys,” Max replied, a small smile on his face. 

“Is that okay?” Daniel checked. They’d never said anything about whether they wanted their second to be a boy or a girl, both of them just wanted the baby to be happy and healthy. 

“More than okay. Think it’s just hit me that we’re going to have two babies in a few months, not just one anymore.”

“I’m not a baby, Daddy! I’m a big boy!” Lukas interrupted, causing Max to raise an eyebrow at him when he saw that Lukas was talking with his mouth full. Lukas quickly shut his mouth, swallowed and apologised. 

“It’s okay, Lukas, you’re a big boy now, so you have to be ready to teach your little brother these things, okay?” Max questioned, ruffling Lukas’s curls.

Lukas nodded frantically. Max pulled Lukas into his lap, holding him sideways and rocking him gently. 

“You may be a big boy, but you’ll always be my baby.” Max murmured. He kissed Lukas’s curls and felt tiny arms come to wrap around where Max was growing his next son. Another set of arms came around Max’s shoulders and Max leant back into Daniel’s hold. 

“Five months, and then we’re going to be Dads to two little boys,” Daniel murmured into Max’s ear, his lips brushing the shell of Max’s ear and then pressed a kiss just below it. 

“And until Santa comes!” Lukas reminded them, bouncing slightly on Max’s lap. 

“You get a little brother, and a visit from Santa in one month, aren’t you a lucky boy?” Daniel said, leaning over Max’s shoulder and kissing Lukas’s head. 

“Brother is better,” Lukas decided, pulling his little plate across and finishing the bit of chicken he hadn’t eaten, “Daddy, will my brother like chicken?”

“Probably,” Max shrugged, “You’ll find out when he gets here.”

“I hope he does, he’ll like chicken nuggets,” Lukas told them. 

“If he’s anything like you, he’ll love chicken nuggets.”

Max was still mentally scarred from the week Lukas had screamed in pain after hurting his leg and only calming when Daniel presented him with the nuggets. There were a few things Max would rather not remember from Lukas’s early development, particularly the amount of times Lukas had thrown up, but the main one had to be Lukas’s scream of pain. Sometimes, Max would still startle himself awake, the echo of Lukas’s scream running across his mind to the point that it felt so real, Max had to get up and check that Lukas’s leg was fine and was still fast asleep, pain-free, in his little race car bed. 

And in a few months’ time, Max would have two kids to check on before bed. It was bad enough trying to convince Daniel to go to bed once Lukas had gone to sleep. How Max was going to convince both his children AND his husband, he really had no idea. 

\----

At the twenty-week mark, the novelty and the excitement of the baby turning up had lessened ever so slightly for Lukas, who was getting agitated in the wait for his little brother to turn up.

“Daddy, why can’t the baby come out to play yet?” Lukas asked, curled up against Max’s side as they watched Daniel’s qualifying on a rainy Saturday afternoon, munching on some banana whilst Max ate his apple peanut butter combo. 

“Because the baby still needs to grow, he’s not big enough to come out and play yet. He’s only about as long as the banana is right now.”

Lukas pulled the banana out of his mouth and stared at it. 

“He’s really small.”

“Exactly. Can you remember when Eva was born? She was longer, wasn’t she?”

“So looooooooong,” Lukas sang, stretching his arms and nearly hitting Max in the face with the banana. 

“So we need to wait until our baby is longer like Eva was. And Papa isn’t here is he? And he really wants to meet the baby at the same time you do, so we need to wait until he comes home too.”

Lukas nodded and sighed deeply, pouting and then biting more banana in a huff. 

“Look, Lu, Papa’s waving at you.” Max said, dragging Lukas’s attention back to the TV, seeing the way Daniel was waving into the camera, knowing Lukas would be watching back home. 

“PAPA!” Lukas screamed. The shrillness of Lukas’s pitch cut through Max, but he couldn’t find it in himself to tell him to quieten down, not when Lukas had been the softest little boy since they’d woken up. 

Lukas had woken before Max, quietly playing in his room until Max came to get him for breakfast. Max had watched in the doorway for a little while, close to tears and forced to facetime Daniel so he could listen too as Lukas babbled quietly to the baby. They’d caught Lukas talking into thin-air many times, busy telling the baby all the things that Lukas was going to do and teach him, and this very morning, Max had listened as Lukas told the baby all the reasons why Max and Daniel were the best parents. 

“Daddy eats lots of apple, so you gonna like it. And Papa makes Daddy laugh a lot even when Daddy is sad. Papa likes making people laugh. And Daddy gives the best hugs, but Papa is better at the stories,” Lukas babbled. 

Daniel and Max were both close to crying, full of love and emotion for their little boy. They’d never heard Lukas talk about them before, and they hadn’t realised that Lukas had picked up on Max’s occasional sad moods. But their perceptive little demon of a child seemed to notice everything, and they both couldn’t help but wonder just what else Lukas had noticed, especially when Daniel had to fly away to races and he was just living with Max. 

“Daddy! Papa won!” Max turned back to Lukas, back to focusing on what was happening. 

“He’s on pole, yeah, your Papa did that just for you.”

Lukas jumped off the sofa, dropping the banana skin onto the coffee table and ran up to the TV, pressing his tiny hand against the logo on Daniel’s race suit. 

“Papa gon’ be champion, Daddy!” Lukas told him, jumping back onto the sofa and climbing onto Max’s knee. 

Max pulled Lukas onto his knee a bit higher to ensure he wouldn’t fall off, and held him round the waist. 

“Daddy! Phone Papa!” Lukas asked.

“You know we have to wait for Papa to call us, he’s still busy.” Max told him, but then glared at his phone when the incoming facetime call from Daniel lit up his screen, completely contradicting what Max had just told their son. 

Max swiped to accept the call nevertheless, and placed the phone so that he and Lukas were in the frame. 

“Papa, you won!” 

“Did it for you buddy, for you and your Dad.”

Max smiled as Lukas and Daniel started to converse. Lukas started telling Daniel how he’d gone quick and Daniel explaining where the other drivers had messed up, before Max drifted his attention away from the conversation. It wasn’t that Max didn’t want to listen to Daniel talk about racing, no that wasn’t it. When Daniel got home, the smell of the fuel – and hopefully champagne - lingering on his skin, Max would go through it all again with him, talking about the race and the other drivers. Max missed racing, of course he did, but his little boy was sitting on his lap and Max knew he would give it up in a second for either of his children. Racing was important, but his kids were more important. 

“Oof,” Max hissed, rubbing his tummy suddenly. 

“What’s wrong?” Daniel immediately asked, “Max what’s wrong? Do you need-”

“He kicked,” Max cut him off, eliminating the worry from Daniel’s voice and instantly seeing his face soften. 

“He’s kicking?”

“He wouldn’t stay still during quali, think he’s kicking me to tell me that you haven’t said hello to him yet.”

Daniel laughed and said hello to the baby, talking quietly to him. Lukas turned and frowned, staring down at Max’s covered bump.

“Don’t kick Daddy, that’s naughty,” Lukas scolded.

Daniel and Max instantly started laughing as Max pulled Lukas into him. 

“No, kiddo, it’s okay, babies kick when they move,” Max explained, but Lukas didn’t seem to take note, instead just frowning deeper, his lips twisted to the side. 

Lukas turned in a small form of protest and looked back at the phone, wanting to talk to his Papa more. Daniel facetimed them as often as he could when away if Max didn’t bring Lukas to the races, but with them having kept the pregnancy quiet, Max didn’t suddenly want to go to the races and have everyone know they were expecting again. They’d done the same with Lukas, not announcing it until the day Lukas had been born to actually share it with the world, taking a lot of the pressure off Max. 

Daniel started to chat again with Lukas as he walked down the pits, a few drivers coming into frame and waving at them both, with Lukas screaming a “HI UNCLE VAL” which Max was pretty sure destroyed his eardrums with the volume, and then made his way into his driver’s room. He was just about to say his goodbyes, when the baby kicked especially hard, causing Max to wince and Lukas to start crying. 

“Daddy he kicked me! Why does he not love me?! I love him!” 

“Well, that would be Michael at my door, love you Max, enjoy dealing with that,” Daniel joked, grinning as Max glared at him in between his attempts to get Lukas to calm down and understand that the baby didn’t hate him, the baby was just kicking so that Lukas could hang out with him. The baby wasn’t even here yet and they’d already had their first argument, Max thought, shaking his head minutely. 

“Yeah whatever, love you too. Talk to you later,” Max replied, shaking his head as he rocked Lukas, trying to calm him down a little as he pouted. 

“Glad to see he got my dramatics,” Daniel said. 

“And that is precisely why you’ll be dealing with him when you get home,” Max grinned, causing the smirk to be wiped off Daniel’s face.

“You sneaky little devil.”

“Off you pop Daniel, enjoy your press work!”

“Love Papa!” Lukas said, not crying anymore as he wiped his face on Max’s shirt. 

“Love you Lucky, take care of Daddy for me and I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”

“Bye Papa!”

“Bye, Daniel.” 

Max ended the call and dropped his phone to the side, spinning Lukas so that he had a leg on either side of Max’s thighs and pulled his hands forward, pressing them against where the baby was wiggling. 

“Can you feel him moving? It’s because he can hear your voice and your Papa’s, and he wants to come play.” Max explained, hoping it would make Lukas feel a bit better. 

Lukas leant forward, pressing his cheek against where the baby was moving and smiling, all his previous tears gone. 

“You can’t kick, that’s naughty, but am excited to play with you too,” Lukas told the bump. 

Max carded his fingers through Lukas’s messy curls and made sure he was okay. 

“Cartoons?” Max asked. His years of parenting told him it was definitely the most effective way of distracting kids. 

“Paw Patrol!” Lukas decided, flopping off Max’s lap to lay down on the couch. Max rearranged himself that he was laying down too, pulling Lukas to lay on his side in front of him with his head resting on Max’s bicep. 

“Love Daddy.” Lukas whispered, close to falling asleep now that the excitement of qualifying was gone. 

“Love you too, Luck.”

“Love baby.”

The baby let out a little kick and Max felt Lukas’s grin grow from where he was pressing his face into Max’s arm. 

“Baby loves you too.”

\----

By the time seven months hit, Max was tired. He was very, very tired. Lukas was back in school and they only had a couple months until the Bub made his appearance. 

Everything _hurt_. 

The back pain was there. The insomnia was there. Max was losing sight of his feet with every passing day. He seemed to need to pee. ALL. THE. TIME. 

But Daniel was also there, rubbing Max’s legs when the cramps set in, and holding him when Max cried at night, wondering if he could be a good father to two children when he still didn’t even know how to be a father to the child he’d been raising for four and a half years. 

Lukas was also there. He didn’t really know what to do, but he was there. Cuddling up beside Max every morning and planting a kiss on Max’s nose, passing him his badger when Max started crying, wiping away any tears that Max let out in front of him. Lukas looked concerned every time, but Daniel told him it was okay and while Max was pretty sure Lukas didn’t believe them, he didn’t start crying himself _everytime_. Just, like, 60% of the time. 

“Lukas, your Daddy’s here!” His teacher shouted into the classroom, “Afternoon, Mr Ricciardo.”

“Afternoon, how’s he been?” Max smiled. Two years married and he still grinned every single time he got called Mr Ricciardo. 

“Good. Lukas has just settled in so well to this new class and he’s such a delight. I could stand here and tell you until the end of time how delightful Lukas is, but you already know that. He’s just such a good boy, so gentle and loving and helpful. We’ve been doing about families, and Lukas just keeps telling everyone he’s going to have a little brother coming before Santa.”

Max grinned and shook his head. 

“He’s rather excited to meet his brother, if you hadn’t already guessed.”

The teacher started laughing, reaching to grab some papers that Lukas had been working on as Lukas came running to the door, his backpack clutched against his chest and his coat twisted around his arms. Max grabbed Lukas’s backpack and shouldered it, holding his hand out to his son. 

“Hi Daddy!”

“Hey kiddo, you ready to go?”

Lukas nodded and took the papers off his teacher, bidding her goodbye and taking Max’s hand, skipping along beside him as they walked back to the car. 

“I drawed you and Papa and baby, and I spelled my name, and I went on the bikes and I beat Andy,” Lukas regaled as they walked.

“How do you spell your name, then? Can you remember?” Max rubbed the underside of his stomach as they walked, feeling the twinge of pain there. 

“L-U-kicking K-A-S” Lukas repeated. 

“You clever boy!” Max praised, smiling through the pain so as not to worry Lukas, “You’re going to have to tell Papa you can spell your name.”

“Yeah! And tomorrow we’re gonna learn how to spell other words too! I love school, Daddy!” Lukas announced as they got to the car. Max was pleased Lukas liked school. Neither he, nor Daniel, had been very academic, too focused on karting or causing havoc. But Lukas was different. He was quieter, and Max liked that. It was nice to see the pure chaos of his personality balance out with a quiet, more contemplative, academic side. 

Max pulled the car door open and took a deep breath, trying to ignore the stabbing pain that had suddenly onset. He dropped Lukas’s schoolbag onto the floor and then moved aside to let Lukas clamber in, leaning against the car door for a moment. A particularly fierce pain hit, and Max bit his lip, trying to stop the grimace coming over his face. 

“Daddy?” Lukas asked worriedly.

“It’s okay, buddy, Daddy just needs to sit down, it’s okay, don’t worry.” 

Max didn’t buckle Lukas in straight away, knowing in the back of his head that the stabbing pain he was experiencing was very similar to the pain that had started just before he’d gone into labour with Lukas, and with only his son around, it could be that Max ended up having to rely on Lukas to go and get a teacher or another adult to help. Max walked around instead to the other side of the car, gingerly slid in beside Lukas and held his hand. He rubbed his hand slowly whilst breathing through the pain, rubbing his stomach as well to try and relieve the worst of it. 

“Lukas, can you phone Papa for me?” Max got his phone out his pocket and handed it to Lukas. 

Say what you want about kids and technology, Max thought, but their son knowing how to use a phone could be the best thing to come out of it. 

“Max, you alright?” Daniel’s voice came through the speaker, Lukas having been smart enough to put it on loudspeaker. 

“Daddy’s poorly Papa,” Lukas answered, his voice wavering but he didn’t cry, “Daddy keeps rubbing the baby and he nearly cried.”

“Is Daddy there, Lukas? Can he hear me?”

“I can hear you Dan,” Max answered, “It’s not contractions, don’t worry. We’re at school, in the car, you need to come meet us because I can’t drive us home.”

Daniel let out a sound of worry and Max heard as he quickly started to run around. 

“I’m on my way, I’ll be five minutes Maxy. Lukas, are you okay, buddy?”

“Taking care of Daddy,” Lukas answered, pushing himself out of his seat and leaning up to gently stroke Max’s arm. 

“That’s a good boy, Lukas. Daddy’s okay, I promise you. But you’re doing a great job, buddy, and I’ll be there soon.”

“Okay, I got Daddy,” Lukas replied, smiling reassuringly and showing all his little teeth off. 

Max leant forward and pulled Lukas to sit in the middle between his carseat and Max. 

“Daddy’s okay, your little brother is just playing games in Daddy’s tummy.”

Lukas nodded, never once stopping stroking Max’s arm. 

“Why don’t you tell Papa what you learnt at school, Luk?” Max prompted, trying to distract Lukas. The pain was lessening, and he knew by time Daniel got here, it wouldn’t be that severe, but Max didn’t want to risk any sharp hits of the Braxton hicks hitting him whilst driving, especially not whilst he had Lukas in the car.

“I learnt to spell my name, Papa! L-U-kicking K-A-S! Lukas!” He repeated, the same excitement as evident as when he’d told Max just a few minutes before. 

“Oh Lukas, you’re the smartest boy in the world!”

“And I can teach the baby to spell his name too! Wait… Daddy, does the baby have a name?” Lukas realised all of a sudden, just so used to calling him Baby or Bub.

“He does, Lu, he’ll tell you when he gets here.” Max told him, which Lukas shrugged at.

“I hope I can spell it, otherwise we’re in a pickle Daddy.”

Max laughed, cradling his stomach when it protested in pain. 

“Daddy gon’ be okay?” Lukas asked, his voice going quiet again. 

“Daddy’s going to be absolutely fine, remember, your brother is just playing silly games.”

“Twenty seconds, Max, and I’ll be there,” they heard through the speaker. Lukas rocked up onto his knees and started looking out the back window. Max knew the second Lukas caught sight of Daniel, as his grin grew and he started waving. 

“Hey Maxy, how’s things?”

“Braxton hicks,” Max replied, squeezing Daniel’s hand tightly now that he could stop focusing on Lukas. Not that it helped. Focusing on Lukas had been a very welcomed distraction from the pain. 

“You sure?”

“Positive.” Max promised.

“Okay, we’ll stay here until it’s not so bad, then we’ll go home, okay?” Daniel leant forward and kissed Max, trying to pull his attention away from the pain in his stomach. 

“Papa make Daddy better?” Lukas asked.

“I’ll always make your daddy better. That’s my job, to look after you three.” Daniel told him, letting Lukas cuddle close to him whilst Max still gripped his hand. 

Daniel leant forward and whispered in Max’s ear, 

“At least I’ll be ready for when the baby comes, and you try and break my hand again.”

“I’ll break your hand in a minute if you’re not careful.”

Daniel winked and grinned. 

“Nah, you love my hands too much,” Max rolled his eyes but had to let out a sigh of relief when the pain dwindled slightly due to Daniel’s warm hands gently massaging the pain. 

“God I swear your hands are magic.”

“Careful Maxy, our kids are present.”

Max half-heartedly smacked Daniel in the arm but leant his head against his shoulder. 

“How’s the pain?” Daniel asked some time later.

“Bearable, I’d really like to go home now,” Max told him. He knew there were tears in his eyes and he really tried his best not to let them fall, not wanting to scare Lukas.

Daniel nodded and pressed a final lingering kiss to Max’s forehead. He reached over and fastened the seatbelt around Max, ducking his head and pressing a kiss to the bump and whispered, 

“I love you and can’t wait to meet you, but stay in there for a little while longer. We’re not quite ready for you yet.”

Lukas copied Daniel, pressing a kiss to the bump and then climbed into his seat, ready for Daniel to buckle him in. 

“I’m your superhero, Daddy,” Lukas told Max, holding his hand gently when Daniel started to drive them home. 

“You’re always my superhero,” Max responded, “Thank you for being such a good boy then. I promise Daddy’s okay.”

Lukas nodded, finally trusting them. 

\----

“Hey Daniel?!” Max shouted through the house. Daniel was downstairs, cleaning up the breakfast plates they’d used before Lando and Carlos had picked Lukas up for the day. Daniel was supposed to be wrapping Lukas’s Christmas presents, whilst Max had a bath to try and eliminate the intense back pain that he was experiencing. He had been planning on just sitting on the bed and watching Daniel wrap the presents, but plans didn’t always work when you was pregnant nor a parent. 

Daniel came running up the stairs and slammed into the bathroom. 

“We need to go to the hospital.” Max told him, clutching tightly onto the side of the bath and breathing through the pain, “The baby’s coming.”

Daniel’s eyes went wide and he quickly reached forward to help Max up.

“He really had to make his appearance on Christmas Eve.”

“At least this one is turning up on his due date.” Max replied. 

He may be in pain, but, _fuck_ Max was grateful to not go through the terror and anxiety of another child being born early.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry to leave it on a cliffhanger there haha, but I promise that the next fic will come on Christmas Eve and we will finally meet Baby Ricciardo II. 
> 
> As always, comments and kudos are greatly appreciated :D
> 
> Tumblr is available at 3303andmore - I take prompts! For pretty much anything / any AU (either in this 'verse or just others, I'm down for anything), so always feel free to drop it either down below or at my Tumblr.


	18. The one where they meet their future again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Baba Ricciardo II makes his appearance and Lukas is very excited

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mild warning for non-graphic birth talk?? It’s basically just Max screaming for a while and nearly breaking Daniel’s hand, then a cut-scene bc ya boi is squeamish around birth lol

Daniel really should’ve guessed with the speed that they operate that this child would do the same. Frantically swapping between his and Max’s phones, talking to the midwives on one call and to the ambulance dispatches on the other, whilst also clutching Max’s hand as the contraction pain set in fully. Daniel was silently singing Michael’s praises for always making sure that Daniel could focus on many things at once. 

“Hey, Maxy, the midwives are nearly here, okay, they’re going to come to us, it’s okay,” Daniel reassured him as he rubbed Max’s back.

“This isn’t how it was meant to go!” Max screamed, tightening his grip on Daniel’s hand as another wave of pain shot through him. 

They hadn’t planned the baby turning up whilst they were still at home, the entire plan had been another hospital birth, but this labour was moving way quicker than Lukas’s had. The hospital told them to stay at home, knowing it would potentially be more dangerous for them to try and get to the hospital with how quickly Max was progressing. Instead, Max was knelt against the side of the bath, towels all over the floor and Daniel at his side, trying to be the calm head between them. 

“Daniel, it’s the paramedics!” They heard and Daniel went out to meet them, having unlocked the front door so they could let themselves in. 

“Hi Max, hows the pain?” They asked once they got into the bathroom.

“Like theres a fucking baby trying to come out of me!” He screamed.

“Okay Max, that’s fine, we’ve got some pain relief for you and we’ll just do a quick exam to see how baby is doing, okay?”

Max practically ripped the gas and air out of their hands, and started using it. He looked at Daniel, tears streaming down his cheeks and reached out for him. Daniel could see the fear evident in Max’s eyes and tried to smile reassuringly at him. 

“It’s going to be okay, Maxy, the paramedics are here, it’s going to be okay,” Daniel leant forward and pushed Max’s sweaty hair off his head, rubbing away the tears and kissing his forehead. 

The midwives then turned up a few minutes later, the paramedics moving out the way so they could do their thing.

“Okay, Max, I think we’re ready, are you ready to meet your little boy?” His midwife asked once she’d checked and prepped everything she needed.

Max looked at Daniel and shook his head.

“I can’t do it, I can’t,” he sobbed.

“Yes you can, you can do this. You’ve done it before, you’re strong. I’ve got you,” Daniel told him, hugging Max tightly.

“Daniel’s right, Max, you’ve done it once, you can do it again,” the midwife reassured and Max shook his head.

“It wasn’t meant to go like this.”

“You wasn’t meant to be a double world champion before Daniel, now come on. Things don’t always go as planned but it doesn’t mean it’s bad, does it?” She told Max, gently chastising him.

“C’mon Maxy, we’ve got a baby to meet,” Daniel smiles, “Lukas wants his brother.”

Max took a final deep breath, could feel the pain of the baby wanting to come out, and nodded. 

“Let’s do this,” Max said, determination trying to overrule the anxiety. 

Daniel let out a sigh of relief and moved to sit on the side of the bath in front of Max.

“Take my hands, baby, I got you,” Daniel told him, letting Max clutch on tightly. He grit his teeth at the strength that Max held his hand, but didn’t grimace. He could deal with a bit of pain, knowing it was nothing compared to what Max was feeling.

“Okay Max, that’s brilliant, now when I tell you, you push okay.” The midwife said, nodding at Daniel to let him now it was going to be okay.

And Daniel knew it would. They had the best people around that they needed, Lukas was happy at his Uncle Lando’s, and Max was safe. Now it was time to meet their newest little boy. 

——

“Well, that was nice and good, well done Max.” The midwife said not 45 minutes later, the newest baby Ricciardo laying on her lap whilst she quickly did some tests, wrapped up in a towel, his tiny eyes just opening. 

“Oh Max, Max he’s beautiful,” Daniel said, looking over the midwife’s shoulder and smiling at his little boy. Max was still sat against the bathtub, the other midwives and paramedics checking him over, his eyes closed and a sleepy smile on his face. His chest was still heaving with all the pain and screaming, but Max was okay. Their little boy was okay. Everything was okay.

Daniel let out a gasp, which had Max’s eyes fly open and he looked anxiously towards Daniel and the baby.

“What is it? What’s wrong?”

“He has the same eyes as Lukas,” Daniel whispered, overcome with emotion and wiping away the tears before they could fall on his new son’s face. 

“I want to see,” Max murmured, reaching out for his son.

The midwife handed the baby over, letting him settle against Max’s bare chest. 

“He’s absolutely fine. Very healthy and very loved.”

“Lukas is going to go mental when he gets to meet him,” Daniel murmured against Max’s hair. Max curled into Daniel’s side as best he could, Daniel arms cradling two of his boys to him.

“God I’m so fucking proud of you, every single time. Max he’s gorgeous, you did it, baby, you gave us our son.”

The baby was hugged against Max’s chest, letting out a tiny breath that had both his parents start crying again. 

“Right, now the not so fun stuff,” the midwife interrupted, looking apologetic at having to interrupt the family moment, “Things to look out for postpartum.”

Max and Daniel both grimaced, but knew they had to listen. Max didn’t have to go into the hospital, and neither did the little Bub, so making sure they both stayed okay was Daniel’s #1 priority. He had his boys to take care of now. His three boys. 

——

“Hey Lando, how’s Lukas?” 

“He’s good, just finishing up his dinner.” Lando answered, welcoming Daniel in. “Everything good?”

“Yeah, something came up, really appreciate you looking after him a bit longer than anticipated,” Daniel said, tiredly rubbing his eyes as he walked into Lando’s kitchen. 

“It’s not a problem, it’s nice to hang out with him.” Lando replies, a wistful look on his face as he looked at Lukas. 

Lukas looked up as Daniel walked in, tomato sauce round his mouth and grinned at him.

“Hi Papa!”

“Hey, Lu, you been a good boy for your uncles?”

“Uncle Carlos pushed me on the swings and Uncle Do went on the slide with me! And then Uncle Do taught me to spell his name!”

“That’s awesome, kiddo, are you ready to go home? Go and see daddy?” Daniel asked as Carlos took the now-finished plate from in front of him. 

“Yeah! I got a story to tell him that Uncle Carlos told me!” Lukas told him, jumping off his chair and wrapping his arms around Carlos’s waist. 

“Thank you for playing with me, you’re the best Uncle Carlos ever.”

“You’re welcome, pequeño,” Carlos responded, kissing Lukas’s head and then handing him over to Lando. 

Lando picked him up, letting Lukas tie himself around Lando, hugging him tightly. 

“Thank you for dinner Uncle Do, you the best.”

“You the best too Lu, see you soon, okay?” 

Lukas nodded and kissed Lando’s cheek. 

“Bye Uncle Do, Uncle Carlos, see you soon.”

“Bye kiddo,” they said, watching Lukas run out to Daniel’s car. 

Lando handed the bag of Lukas’s stuff over and also a bag with presents in them. 

“There’s some presents for Lukas, and then some for you and Max and that,” Lando explained.

“Thanks man, and thanks for looking after him. We really appreciate it, know it wasn’t what you signed up for but we really appreciate it,” Daniel said again. 

Lando shrugged it off.

“You know we love him, we’ll always look after him when you need us to.”

“Trust me, we’ll take you up on that a lot soon,” Daniel told him cryptically. Lando raised an eyebrow, looked across at Carlos who just shrugged.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing, see you later mate, gotta get back to Maxy.”

Daniel grinned and winked, walking out the door and chucking the bags in the boot. 

“Right kiddo,” Daniel said as he started to buckle to Lukas in, “You have to be quiet when we get home okay? Daddy might be asleep, so you have to be quiet for me okay?”

Lukas nodded and placed his finger over his lips to show he could be quiet. 

“Can I tell him my story later, though?”

“Of course you can matey, just gotta wait until Daddy’s awake, yeah?”

Lukas nodded contently, settling back into his seat properly and looking out the window as Daniel drove them home. 

Daniel pulled up outside their house, saw the lights on in their bedroom, meaning Max was probably awake and just sitting on the bed, either looking at their son or feeding him.

“Right, remember-”

“Gotta be quiet in case Daddy asleep.” Lukas nodded, “I got this Papa.”

Daniel laughed lightly and let Lukas out, meeting him at the door when he’d finally got the bags out the car and locked it. 

“Max?” Daniel whisper-shouted as he pushed the door open. Lukas tucked his hand into Daniel’s hand and followed him upstairs when Max shouted back a hi.

“Right, Lukas, can you stand there a second,” Daniel said once they got to outside their bedroom door, “I just need to talk to Daddy then you can come in.”

Lukas grinned and flopped down to sit on the floor.

“Hey, how is he?” Daniel murmured as he walked in. 

Max was sat up in bed, their new little baby boy cradled against his chest. Daniel couldn’t believe just how small the newborn was. Lukas was small for his age, not by much, but definitely the shortest kid in his class, but in contrast to the baby, Lukas seemed huge now. Daniel knew there was just under five years separating his boys, but even still, Lukas almost seemed like a full grown adult in comparison to his baby brother. 

“He’s been absolutely perfect. Had a feed and a sleep, but think he’s ready to meet his brother now.” Max responded, his lips curving up into a smile. Daniel leant across the bed, kissed the baby’s crown and then kissed Max.

“I’m so fucking proud of you, every single damn day.”

“Right back at ya,” Max told him. The two fathers shared a grin and kissed again. 

“I’ll get Lukas to close his eyes and I’ll put him on the bed and you can put him on his knee?” Daniel asked, backing up to the door.

Max nodded, and Daniel saw the apprehension come over his features. Throughout the pregnancy, Lukas had been excited at the prospect of getting a sibling, never once had he seemed anything but ecstatic. But they both still worried how Lukas would react when the baby was actually in his arms and not just a figment of his imagination anymore. He was a real, living, breathing person, not a toy that they could get rid of when Lukas lost interest. This was his little brother. The boy Lukas swore to protect and love and teach. 

“Close your eyes buddy,” Daniel said as he picked Lukas up, waiting for him to smack his hands over his eyes before walking in. 

Gently, Daniel climbed onto the bed and deposited Lukas so that he was sat up against Max’s side.

“Keep your eyes closed, but I’m going to move your hands okay?” Daniel instructed. 

Daniel moved Lukas’s arms so that they were out of the way, but still ready to hold the baby.

“Is it from Santa?” Lukas asked.

His parents didn’t respond, just looked at each other and smiled. Instead, Max moved so that he could lower the baby over Lukas’s head, gently placing him in his lap and holding the head. Daniel pulled Lukas’s arm up slightly so that he was better cradling his brother, Lukas still none the wiser as to what was on his lap, and pulled back. He got his phone out and turned the camera on, and waited for Max to nod. 

“Okay, Lukas, open your eyes.”

Lukas opened his eyes and blinked up at Daniel, then looked down. 

“Oh my...” Lukas whispered, “Daddy, it’s the baby.”

“This is your little brother, Lukas.”

Lukas leant forward and pressed a kiss to the baby’s nose.

“Hi baby, am Lukas. I love you.”

Max and Daniel both teared up. They’d expected the positive response, but to see their boys, staring at each other, one inquisitive at the new face and one with love and adoration on his features, it was a whole new level of love that they hadn’t expected. 

Daniel took a photo to memorialise the moment, Lukas staring adoringly at his brother, his brother staring back up at him and holding Lukas’s fingers, and Max staring with a tender smile on his face at the two boys.

After Lukas had had sufficient time to meet his brother, they invited the families over, Grace, Joe and Sophie all cradling their little grandson tightly, before they vanished into the kitchen to start making food for Christmas Day, giving Max and Daniel a welcome reprise from thoughts about food. Kimi and Sebastian brought their kids over as well at Max’s insistence, and the four men watched Lukas introduce his sibling like the proud big brother that he was, telling the other two everything that was great about his new brother. 

Later on, when Lukas was tucked up in bed (after begging to be allowed to sleep near the baby and crying when he was ultimately denied it, but a threatened ‘Santa won’t know where you are if you’re not in your bed’ seemed to do the trick and Lukas was out like a light), their parents asleep in the guest rooms and Max cuddled into Daniel’s side, they finally told the world their news. They just posted the photo Daniel had taken of Max and the boys, knowing it was the perfect capture of the amount of love Lukas had for his brother. 

“24/12/23, at 14:47, we got to do it again.  
Welcome to the world, Jak Jules Ricciardo”

And if there was a star, shining just a bit brighter in the night sky, they all knew just who was watching over their new family member.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I hope that was worth the wait and the name reveal was worth it. I know if you’ve read my Carlos/Lando fic you’ll have already known what Jak’s first name was, but the middle name seemed important. Daniel loves Jules and it felt fitting❤️
> 
> Tumblr: 3303andmore - requests are always welcome❤️
> 
> Happy Christmas / Holidays / whatever you celebrate/don’t celebrate. Have a lovely period of time :) - Kai x


	19. The one where Max and Daniel are reminded just how great Lukas is

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Max and Daniel bring their eldest to a race. And Lukas is his usual chaotic, loving self featuring an appearance from the baby brother

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for the lovely and incredibly supportive phtxgwynn who asked _will you write the story about lukas when he is older like 5-6 years old? i mean it would be very soft to see lukas on track with his papas 🥺_ way back on the first chapter all those months ago, and I’m trash and only just did it now and I’m very sorry, friend, but I hope you enjoy❤️

Taking Lukas to the races was the most fun that Max and Daniel could have. Their little boy commandeered attention. At five and a half years old, he was cheeky but in a witty manner, had the most respectful attitude and all around the most charming nature of anyone that you could meet. And watching Lukas want to be a part of their world made Max and Daniel laugh every single time. 

Lukas sat with Christian and his parents race engineers whilst Max and Daniel did their qualifying, bouncing on his chair and screaming for his dads to go faster, laughing and shouting when Max made the first sector go purple, then the second, and then the third.

“Tell him, Lukas, you tell him, mate!”

Lukas climbed onto Christian’s lap and screamed into the microphone.

“You did it, Daddy! You did it! You drove fastest!”

“Yes Lukas! We did it, kindje!” Max shouted back. If there was a camera on the inside of Max’s helmet, they’d all see the bright, wide grin on his face. A grin mirrored on the face of his eldest boy. 

Christian kept hold of Lukas to ensure he didn’t try and run off, not wanting to risk the wrath of Max should Lukas get nearly ran over by one of the other drivers. 

Lukas was bouncing at the barrier as he watched Max climb out the car, waiting for his Dad to rip his helmet off and Lukas could give him a hug. 

His Daddy was fastest! No one else’s Daddy could catch him. Lukas’s Daddy was the best! 

Max pulled his helmet off and handed it over, immediately running at the barrier and grabbing Lukas, pulling him over and holding him tightly. Lukas bounced in his Dad’s arms, kissing his cheeks and laughing as Max spun them in a circle. 

“You did it, Daddy! We did it for Jak!” Lukas told him. 

It was his Daddy’s first race back after Jak, and he did it! Papa told Lukas that Daddy would do it, like he had all those years ago when Lukas was a baby and Daddy came first for his first race back. His Daddy did that! 

Another set of arms came around them both, and Lukas spun his head to see the giant grin on Papa’s face. 

“Told you you’d do it,” Papa said, leaning over Lukas’s shoulder and kissing his Daddy. 

Daniel pulled away, pressing kisses to Lukas’s cheek and then hugged them tightly again. 

“You always think I’m going to do it,” Max responded, rolling his eyes but grinned at Daniel otherwise. 

“Because you’re talented enough to do it every time, and we’ve got two lads that want you to do it every time.”

“Daddy gotta win!” Lukas declared, which had Daniel gasp at him.

“Can I not win?” Daniel asked, jokingly pouting at Lukas. 

Lukas thought about it for a moment and then nodded. 

“Sometimes you can, but Daddy gotta win more ‘cause you won loads when Daddy was off with me and Jak.”

Max and Daniel laughed as Lukas grinned at them. Seeing his Daddy laugh made Lukas happy. He’d seen Daddy be scared a lot before coming back, not wanting to leave Jak, even in Auntie Vic’s care, but he had, and now he was fastest. Papa never lies when he said Daddy he was the best at winning. And Papa was right. 

Dressed in a tiny imitation of Max’s suit, with a half Dutch-half Australian flag on his waist, Lukas held tightly onto Max’s hand as they were approached by someone to do an interview. Lukas didn’t recognise the man, but he held onto Max and didn’t move from his side. 

“Max, a sensational lap. It seems like only last race I was saying the same thing when you came back from Lukas, how good does it feel getting pole again?”

“Daddy fastest!” Lukas piped up, making Max and the other man laugh. 

“Yeah, I was fastest, Luk,” Max agreed, smiling at his son before addressing the question, “But it was definitely good. Getting back in the car is always great and the guys had done a great job with the car.”

“We’ve seen you be very dominant at this track in the past, can we expect another win?”

“Daddy gonna win ‘cause he was faster than Papa!” Lukas told them, jumping up and down in excitement. “And Papa said he gotta win ‘cause he won for me so he gotta win for Jak!”

Max pulled Lukas to stand infront of him, holding his hand still to ensure he didn’t bounce away and tickled his fingers through Lukas’s hair. 

“I think so, obviously we can’t say what will actually happen when the race starts, but we’re feeling pretty good and the car feels great. It will be good to fight with Daniel as well, he’s p4, and he’s always enjoyed this track, so fighting him and Alex and George, it’s definitely going to be a good race.”

“Daddy win!” Lukas announced, making the interviewer laugh and high-five Lukas. 

“Well, Lukas has declared it, so it’s got to happen!” The interviewer laughed and Lukas smiled and nodded. 

“Go to your Papa,” Max whispered, pointing at where Daniel was deep in conversation with Valtteri and the young boy set off, leaving Max to finish the interview. 

“Papa!” Lukas shouted, jumping into Daniel’s arms and hugging him tightly. 

“Hey kiddo, Daddy send you over?”

“Yeah, he said gotta stay with you, think it’s   
‘cause Daddy gotta go do press stuff now. Can I go play with Jak?” Lukas asked.

“Maybe in a bit, do you want to come look at the cars with Uncle Val and me?”

“Yeah!” Lukas screamed, leaning across to Valtteri and hugging his neck. 

Valtteri hugged him back, gently ran his hand over the little boy’s back and smiled when Lukas pressed a kiss to his cheek. 

Daniel dropped Lukas onto his feet, and Lukas reached up to take hold of Daniel and Valtteri’s hands. 

“Uncle Val,” Lukas asked as they wandered down.

“What’s up, kid?”

“Are you happy now? ‘Cause you gonna be a champion? ‘Cause you look happy.”

Valtteri looking down at him, tenderly smiling at him before he looked up at Daniel.

“He’s too perceptive,” Valtteri told him which had Daniel laugh and then he answered Lukas, “Yeah, Lucky, I’m really happy.”

“Good, ‘cause you deserve to be happy.” Lukas nodded.

Valtteri pulled the boy up, holding him on his hip and hugging him tightly. 

“Love you Uncle Val,” Lukas murmured.

“Love you too, pieni,” Valtteri told him, kissing his temple and then handed him back to Daniel. 

Lukas happily held onto Daniel’s neck as they walked through the paddock, smiling and pointing out different things on the cars. 

“Papa, that’s cars engine is-” 

“Okay kiddo, let’s not have you getting attacked by Daddy’s rivals,” Daniel laughed, slamming his hand over Lukas’s mouth when he saw the way that the engineers were staring at Lukas, almost daring him to point out just what the fault was on the engine. 

“But it’s bad! It’s not got the right number of circles!” Lukas mumbled behind Daniel’s hand, intent on telling him the reason why the cars were bad. 

“Lukas shush!” Daniel kept laughing, close to dropping Lukas as he kept trying to shush him. 

“No, tell us everything, Lukas, what’s happening?” Valtteri questioned, earning a mock glare from Daniel and Lukas frantically trying to push Daniel’s hand away from his mouth. 

“Lukas, are you causing havoc?”

“DADDY!” Lukas screamed behind Daniel’s hand, spinning in his arms as best he could and slithering down, wrapping his arms around Max’s waist. 

“I’m telling Papa and Uncle Valtteri what’s wrong with the cars.”

“Maybe you shouldn’t be doing that Lukas,” Max wrapped his arm around Daniel’s waist and tousled Lukas’s curls. 

Lukas looked up cheekily at them, pressing his chin into Max’s hip.

“But daddy, if I tell you what’s wrong with them, you can be best!”

“I’m already the best, Lukas,” Max answered, making Daniel laugh.

“You’re the best because you’re my daddy!” Lukas told him, reaching his arms up for Max to pick him up. 

Hoisting Lukas into his arms, Max balanced him between himself and Daniel. Max saw the moment that the cameras pulled round to them, but he paid them no attention. Lukas, however, had a giant cheeky grin on his face as he looked at his parents, and then waving dramatically to the cameras. 

“Do you want to sit in Papa’s car?” Max asked as they started to walk back to the pits and drag Lukas away from being a little drama queen. 

It was entirely Daniel’s DNA that was on display as Lukas pulled faces into the camera. His eldest was dramatic and, Max had to admit, pretty hilarious. He was always making similar jokes that Max _knew_ he’d heard Daniel make over the years, showing off to the camera and constantly trying to make other people laugh with his ability to speak both Dutch and English. Lukas was constantly the centre of attention, the ringleader behind many of the plots that caused havoc when he was left alone, and Max adored him. The dark curls that circled Lukas’s head gave him the most angelic look, his light eyes dragging your attention, and his dimples that only grew deeper the wider his grin got. But when you actually paid attention, Lukas was a little cheeky devil, constantly getting into garages and to other driver’s cars, and Max had had to physically drag the boy away many times before he got chased away by mechanics. 

But underneath that, beneath all the cheek and the fun loving attitude, Max knew his little boy was soft and gentle. He was just like his Papa after all. 

Watching Lukas adjust to being a big brother had filled Max’s heart with joy. Getting your brother the day before Christmas would cause most 4-year-olds to freak out, but Lukas hadn’t bothered. He’d been more concerned whether Santa had brought a present for his 16-hour-old brother than any of his own actual presents, content to spend the day holding little Jak’s hand and stroking his soft cheeks. It had been a task and a half to drag Lukas away and get him to open his presents. And every day, Lukas continued to surprise Max and Daniel with how much he cared for his brother. There had been numerous times that they’d woken up in the morning to the sound of gentle whispering, looked over and saw Lukas either cross legged beside his little brother’s bassinet playing quietly or stood over the bed, his elbows propped on the side of the bassinet and his jaw resting on his fists as he whispered all the reasons why Jak was the luckiest little baby in the world. And now Jak had graduated to sleeping in the nursery rather than his parent’s bedroom, Lukas could often be found just sitting beside the crib, his back leaning against the bars as he read a book to Jak. Every day that he got home from school, the first thing he’d do would be to lay down beside Jak on the floor and show him all the things he’d done in school. And every time that Lukas got his new race suits, he’d sigh quietly until Jak was dressed in one to match. 

He truly was the best big brother that Max and Daniel could’ve asked him to be. 

But that didn’t stop his cheeky, show-off attitude overflowing the second there was a camera in front of him.

“Daddy, don’t be silly. Of course I can’t sit in Papa’s car. I’m wearing your Red Bull suit!” Lukas answered, dramatically sighing and shaking his head in an incredibly over-the-top manner. 

Max and Daniel laughed. There was no rudeness to Lukas’s comment. At five and a half years old, his ability to make sarcastic comments was finally starting to come into play, and they laughed every single time. There was something about the way a child who looked as angelic as Lukas did yet was still one of the most sarcastic little demons in the world that absolutely killed them every single day. 

“Right, do you want to sit in Daddy’s car then?” Max asked instead.

“Of course, I only want champion winning cars, Daddy,” Lukas cheeked, quickly diving across and pressing a kiss to Daniel’s cheek when he saw the way Daniel’s mouth dropped open and Max burst out laughing at the indignant look on Daniel’s face. 

“Don’t worry, Papa, you’ll win it one day.” Lukas promised, solemnly patting Daniel’s cheek as though he hadn’t just destroyed Daniel’s racing career in a single sentence. 

“I’ll beat your daddy to it next year and then you’ll have no choice but to call me the best!” Daniel told him, grabbing Lukas round the waist and holding him sideways, taking off in a run down the paddock. 

Max followed after them at a more leisurely pace, a soft and loving smile on his face. Lukas’s bright laughter was echoing loudly in the air. Daniel’s own screaming was the only noise to challenge it. The normal over-stimulating sounds of all the machines and the pistons and the crowds and the interviewers, none of it even filtered through. Max only had ears for Lukas and Daniel’s matching laughter. 

Max found them both in the garage, Lukas leaning back into Daniel’s legs and toying with his fingers whilst Daniel chatted to someone. He ran his fingers across the small of Daniel’s back, fingers dipping dangerously into the fold of his race-suit, and threw a lazy smirk over his shoulder at the squawk of protest he got from Daniel. 

“Hoi Vic, I need Jak,” Max requested, picking up his youngest son and relieving Victoria of her babysitting duties momentarily. 

Max walked straight back out, Jak held proudly on his hip, and held his hand out to Lukas. His car had finally been wheeled back in, safely turned off and the wheels in the process of being removed, and Max knew it would be the best opportunity to do what he had in mind. 

“Come here, kindje.”

Lukas allowed Max to lift him up, deposited him in the car and stuck his tongue out at Daniel.

“Am a winner before you, Papa!” 

“At least I can reach the peddles, shorty!” Daniel joked, leaning on the side of the car and tickling the back of Lukas’s neck. 

Max gently placed Jak into the car as well, settling him between Lukas’s legs. Lukas automatically wrapped his arms around Jak’s waist, letting his little brother settle against his front. Lukas’s head peeked above Jak’s, the two of them smiling. Dressed in their matching Red Bull race suits, the two boys looked identical in every manner except their hair, Jak’s light and straight contrasting against the dark curls of Lukas. Jak was giggling happily whilst Lukas made engine noises, lifting Jak’s hands up and turning them as though he was driving the car. Max felt Daniel wrap his arms around Max’s waist and press a kiss against Max’s jaw. 

“We’ve got the best kids in the world,” Daniel said, sneaking his thumb under Max’s fireproof shirt and rubbing against the soft skin of where their babies had grown. 

Max didn’t say anything, just brought his hands down to rest against Daniel’s. They both watched lovingly for a while, they could’ve been watching for hours but they knew it was only minutes. Jak and Lukas happily playing together, Daniel’s arms around him, and a team principle who hadn’t stopped taking photos of his kids since Max had placed them both in the car, it felt like home. 

Home was sometimes thousands of miles away, and on the weekends that Lukas wasn’t able to come to races, it would feel like home was another galaxy. But whilst he was still young and their babies were still wanting all their love and attention, Max couldn’t think of anything better. 

The picture of the boys in the car whilst Max and Daniel stood watching, never having broken their embrace, was the top-liked picture that race weekend. At least, that was until Max and Daniel were on the top step together, a child in each of their arms, and Daniel’s hand cupping Max’s jaw to press a sweet kiss to his lips, Lukas holding Max’s 1st place trophy and Jak pulling on Daniel’s race-suit to get their attention. 

However, Max still maintained that the best moment of the weekend was watching Lukas skip around the paddock, loudly singing that his Daddies were the best, much to the dismay of a certain set of Vettel-Räikkönen children, who’d chased after him telling him all their reasons why their dads were better. Watching his son proudly defend his parents to his best friends, Max couldn’t even believe that there’d been a time that he questioned whether he could be a parent. But now, Max could think of nothing better that he’d want in his life. His sons. His husband. His family. It was everything and so much more. 

Lukas Daniel Ricciardo really was the gift that just kept on giving.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed this. 
> 
> As always, I love to hear from you, so comments and kudos are always appreciated. 
> 
> Prompts are also accepted! I do have a backlist that I’m currently working through, but I always accept them so please feel free to drop them below or at my tumblr (3303andmore) and I promise to get to it! It can be for pretty much anything, this universe or anything else, I’m open to trying anything💕


	20. The one where Max freaks out badly

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Request fill for the lovely **AnaMachado** which just..took me forever bc I'm the worst. 
> 
> But anyway
> 
> They said _Maybe you could write about how Max discovered he was pregnant and how that affected his life?_ and I did Max's discovery way back in Chapter 6 'The one where Max has a crisis because he’s growing a human' and now I'm doing how it affected him. 
> 
> tbh, this is like 3k of Max having a meltdown at two different points in the journey so, we love 1 Angsty Boy
> 
> Content Warnings: Derogatory Language, mentions of Jos Verstappen's A+ Parenting, discussion of fear of raising a child (basically Max has a freakout and I don't exactly know how to describe it)
> 
> Hope you enjoy :)

When Max had first discovered he was pregnant, he’d spent so long stuck in his own head, panicking and crying over how the hell he was meant to be a child’s father, he’d started to think he was making the wrong decision keeping his baby. 

It wasn’t like he had any good experience to draw on. 

However, Max garnered, maybe that was in-fact something to draw on. Whatever that bastard had done with Max, Max simply had to do the opposite. 

When his child was scared, he should hug them and say it was going to be okay, not scream at them to man up.

When his child was excited, he could be excited too. He didn’t have to tell them to lower their expectations, that they’d never be good enough.

Because any child was good enough. And Max knew that his little baby would be good enough because they would have two parents that loved it more than anything in the world.

And the more he thought about a future with Little Bub, the more Max couldn’t imagine ever not having them. He wanted to hug them and sing to them and feed them and help them learn to walk and teach them to read and write and speak. 

Amidst all the excitement of knowing that was coming, Max was terrified. He couldn’t deny that. 

He had no idea how to feed a baby, how to make a baby go to sleep, what clothes you should dress a baby in. When was they meant to give it proper food? And a proper bed? Could Max drive the baby places or did he have to wait until the baby was older? 

The only thing Max knew for certain was that he was taking the first half of the 2019 season out. Aside from knowing that, Max was simply expecting to spend those months crying continuously as he tried to learn how to look after the baby alone. Daniel would be there as much as he could, of course he would, but he was still going to be racing, whilst Max would be stuck at home in Monaco.

And they’d been told the baby was due when the season had already began. Little Bub was due in April, meaning Daniel could be absolutely anywhere in the world and Max would most likely be alone. And Max couldn’t do this alone. He needed Daniel there. He needed Daniel by his side because he was scared. 

Part of Max kept telling him that he’d made the wrong decision. They weren’t ready to be parents. Max was barely 21 years old. He wasn’t ready to be a dad. He didn’t know how to do any of it. 

The more rational part of his brain kept reminding him to look to his left, where he’d always find Daniel, during his late night breakdowns. Daniel. The one person who would be curled on his side with his fingers resting lightly on Max's stomach and a small smile gracing his lips even whilst he slept. It didn’t matter that Max didn’t know how to do any of it. Because he wasn’t doing it alone. Daniel was going to be there. And they had Daniel’s family and Max’s mum on the other ends of the phone in case they needed some help and guidance. They weren’t alone. 

But sometimes, when Daniel went out and Max was left in the apartment, with no one but the bump for company, Max felt very alone. 

Since becoming pregnant, Max noticed the silence more. Obviously he had been home sometimes when Daniel wasn’t, and vice versa. That was standard. They both had their careers and also normal lives. Normal lives which included Daniel going out of the apartment to go and do stuff whilst Max stayed at home. Again, normal. 

Max had used to enjoy the silence. So much of their lives was filled with noise and his head wasn’t always the quietest place to be. But in a few months, they’d have a screaming and crying baby to contest with. And the silence Max used to enjoy would be gone. Now all he could hear was the fact that he’d been spending a lot of time in this apartment, with no one but a baby for company, and Max didn’t like it. He didn’t like being alone. He was never good at it. But now being alone _and_ being given the responsibility to look after a baby didn’t sound so great. 

He could barely manage being given responsibility of looking after his manager’s kid and that had only been a few hours. No. This was _his_ child. A child that he couldn’t hand off to someone else. A child that needed their daddy. A child that, no matter what everyone else said, was not going to be raised by some nanny and ignored on race weekends. Their baby deserved a happy life and they deserved a happy family. 

Max just didn’t _fucking_ know how to give the baby that. 

His own father had fucked off the second that he’d found out Max was dating Daniel. He’d spat abuse at Max, saying he wasn’t worthy of anything and that he didn’t deserve anyone, let alone allow himself to be enough of a whore that he was dating a man. 

But that wasn’t what hurt the most. 

It took a while for it to hit him, but one day, when Daniel was laying between his legs and gently touching the bump, he’d whispered something that had sent Max flying back to being a teenager. 

“I can’t believe I got to give you a baby,” Daniel had whispered.

But it wasn’t Daniel he was hearing. 

_“You’re nothing but a slut, a whore, you’re nothing but a tool for men to use and you don’t deserve a fucking family. No one deserves to have to be tricked into giving you a baby.”_

Max had scrunched his face up and slammed his hands over his ears.

Was that all he would be? Was he nothing more than a body for Daniel to use to have a child? Did Daniel simply wanted to keep the Ricciardo lineage alive and he was using Max for that? Did Daniel expect him to give up racing once the baby was born? He didn’t want that. He wanted to be a racer. 

“Hey, hey, it’s okay, I’m here, Maxy, what’s wrong, baby? Huh? Talk to me?”

“I don’t want to stop racing, please don’t make me,” Max sobbed.

“You’re not stopping, baby, never. You’re just taking a break whilst your body recovers. Our Bub needs their Dads out there winning them a championship, that’s what you’re going to do.”

“I don’t want to stop,” Max repeated, his eyes still screwed shut. 

Daniel kept threading his fingers through Max’s hair and wiped away the tears.

“You’re not stopping forever, Max, we’re just doing what the doctors say,” Daniel said, “It’s not forever, Max, just a couple of months. You’ll be back by the end of August and little Bub and I will be cheering you along every step of the way.”

Max opened his eyes and looked up at Daniel.

“You promise?”

“I’m never going to stop you doing anything. You’re amazing, Max, but I love you for every aspect of you.”

“You’re not going to make me stay at home and look after the baby?”

“No,” Daniel laughed, “_We’re_ having a baby, Max. Not you. _We are_. I’m going to be there to look after the baby just as much as you are. Yeah, you’re going to sometimes look after the baby more than me, but that’s just the first few weeks of the baby being here. As soon as the European races happen, we’re going to them together and we’re going to take the baby to them. I have every intention of you being the same normal Max that you were before you even got pregnant. The pregnancy has been a surprise, of course it has, but you’re still going to be you. It doesn’t make me love you any less. We’re going to be fine and we’re going to be normal. The only difference will be that we have to remember to feed a third person.”

“You promise?” Max whispered, hoping beyond all hell that Daniel wasn’t lying to him.

“I promise. I’ll even do the night shifts, how’s that?”

Max nodded and started crying again. Only this time it was because he felt okay. He felt happy. He was still terrified but Daniel said he’d help and Daniel said he could still race, and they only had a couple more races left before the end of the season anyway. And Daniel hadn’t made him stop racing yet. 

Maybe things would be okay.

Max hoped so. He really hoped so. 

———

“I hate this, I feel so weird.”

“You feel pregnant, you mean.”

“No. I feel weird.” Max corrected, moving side to side and seeing the way his stomach had rounded out slightly over the past few months. 

The bump wasn’t as big as they’d expected, which Max was somewhat grateful for but at the same time he did wonder how different everything would be had he had a bigger bump. But the doctor said there was nothing to be concerned about, some people just had smaller bumps even at the six months mark. It’s just so happened that Max was one of them. And with it being his first pregnancy, combined with being an athlete, it made sense that his baby was huddling himself into Max a bit tighter.

Daniel stood up from where he’d been sat on the bed and wrapped his arms around Max’s waist, his chin resting on Max’s shoulder and his palms pressed against Max’s rounded tummy, pressing against where their little boy was residing.

“What’s weirding you out?”

Max shrugged.

“Okay. So nothings weirding you out, something is freaking you out, right?”

Max shrugged again, but it was half-hearted and he averted his eyes from looking at Daniel in the mirror. 

“Are you scared?”

Max nodded. He couldn’t trust that he wouldn’t immediately start crying when he opened his mouth. Throughout the pregnancy, it had become obvious that Max’s hormones came out to play at every opportunity and now the season was over and Max didn’t have to keep trying to control his emotions, his hormones were finding every reason to cry and, once again, here he was, stood infront of the mirror with no shirt on and crying. 

“Baby, it’s going to be fine, we’ll muddle through it.”

“But what if it’s not?” Max whispered, his voice thick, “What if I should’ve stopped racing earlier, what if I did something wrong and the baby isn’t okay?”

“Maxy, we went to the doctor after every session, you ate more than the required calories, you didn’t push yourself too hard, he is going to be fine, love.”

“But what about when-”

“Max, stop it. Seriously, the baby is going to be fine. We know this, we know it’s okay.”

“I’m so scared,” Max told him, tears starting to fall as he rested his hands over Daniel’s arms. Daniel hands were resting against the bump, at the point where their little baby had been kicking earlier in the day, and his thumbs gently caressing the exposed skin. 

“Of course you are, baby, everything is changing. Your body is changing, our lives are going to change, it’s scary. But that’s why we’re doing it together.” Daniel kissed the spot just below Max’s ear before resting his chin on Max’s shoulder and smiling sadly at him in the mirror. 

“I don’t know how to be a dad.” Max admitted shakily. 

“Me neither, my love. That’s why _we’re doing it together_,” Daniel repeated. 

Max nodded but he knew that Daniel could tell he didn’t believe him. He’d be someone’s daddy in three months, and Max had no idea what to do. His mum had been great, she was a fantastic mum and he couldn’t ask for anyone better. She’d held him through his nightmares and tucked him in at night and took photos of him and Victoria growing up that Max now hated whenever she brought them out.

“I don’t want to be a Dad yet,” Max whispered, and he felt Daniel tense around him.

“What?”

“I’m not ready…”

“It’s a little bit late to be backing out, Max,” Daniel frowned.

“It’s not, it’s not. I can have the baby and you can raise him, and that’s okay, right?” Max pleaded.

“Are you serious? Is that what you want?” Daniel asked, slowly pulling away. 

“I don’t know anymore!” Max screamed, pushing Daniel off him fully and storming off. 

“Max! Come on, just talk to me!”

“I’m not ready! You are! I’m not!”

“I’m not ready either, Max, we both feel like we’re not ready. Neither of us know what we’re doing-”

“But you want to be a Dad!”

The words cut through the air and Daniel took a step back, staring at Max with a blank expression on his face before he asked,

“And you don’t?”

“I don’t know!” Max screamed, “I don’t know anymore! I don’t know what I want! I’m growing a fucking human and that’s all anyone cares about. I don’t want to lose myself and just be _his dad_. I want to be me and I’m scared Daniel! I don’t know who I am anymore.”

“You’re Max fucking Verstappen, what more do you want?!”

“I want to be a fucking person! But no one is letting me. You won’t even touch me anymore! All you do is touch my stomach! I’m more than just a body. I don’t want to lose myself because of it!” Max shouted, angry tears streaming down his face as he glared at Daniel. 

“Max, I’m sorry I didn’t-”

“I don’t want your fucking apology,” He hissed, and Daniel had to remind himself that it wasn’t Max actually being angry, but more he was scared and he didn’t know what was going on and his hormones were going crazy. The only way Max knew to defend himself was through anger and arguing. And if Max was terrified of losing himself, he’d definitely use anger to do that. 

“How long have you felt like this?” Daniel asked, trying to carefully coax it out of Max without causing another argument. 

“Since I fucking found out there was fucking _alien_ in me.”

“Can you please not call him an alien? He’s our baby, Max. And regardless of how you feel, it’s still our child. And you can be angry and you can be scared, but it’s still a human.”

“It’s a bundle of fucking cells.”

Daniel breathed deeply and closed his eyes. 

“Right. You need to calm down and so do I. I’m going to go for a walk, and when I come back, we’ll talk. But calm down first, okay?” Daniel said, grabbing his phone and his keys and leaving the apartment.

The second the door slammed behind Daniel, Max sunk to the floor and sobbed. He wrapped his arms around his tummy and gently ran his hand back and forth along the bump. The baby was moving like crazy, had done the entire time that Max had been screaming at Daniel, and at the time, Max had wanted nothing more than the baby to just stop. 

And now that Daniel was gone and all he had left was the baby in his tummy to remind him of the man he loved. 

He didn’t actually want the baby to not exist, and the idea of seeing Daniel raise his child and not being a part of it was the most harrowing thing Max could imagine. But right now, he was terrified. And no one seemed to understand. 

Max didn’t know how long he sat there sobbing, his breathing coming out in whimpers until his body couldn’t cope and Max had to quickly push himself up and to the bathroom, throwing up until his throat was screaming and his body hurt. 

“Hey, it’s okay, you’re alright Max,” Daniel’s voice filtered through suddenly. His hand was running across Max’s exposed back and he pushed Max’s hair off his sweaty forehead. 

“Here, baby, drink some water, you’re alright,” Daniel told him, holding a bottle of water to Max’s lips and helping him to drink it. 

“That’s it, Maxy, you’re doing really well,” Daniel comforted, kissing Max’s temple lightly. 

“I’m sorry,” Max sobbed after he spat into the toilet bowl.

“It’s alright, Max.”

“No it isn’t,” Max shook his head, “It’s not, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said it.”

“Just get yourself okay, first, and then we can talk.” Daniel promised. 

Once Max had calmed down enough, Daniel helped Max to stand up and passed him a hoodie to shrug on, but Max ignored it. He held the hoodie to his face and breathed in the comforting smell of Daniel, but didn’t put it on. If he was going to talk about the bump, he needed to see it. And he needed to make Daniel understand what his problem was. 

“Are you ready to talk?” Daniel asked, “Not going to get angry again, right?”

Max shook his head and wiped his face. Daniel waited for him to be ready before he joined their fingers together and tugged Max through to the bedroom again. 

Max settled on the bed, crossing his legs underneath him and looking down. Normally he’d look at his lap, but now there was a bump in the way and what Max was seeing instead was a future. 

“What’s the issue, baby?”

“I’m terrified that I’m going to forget who I am, and that everyone else is going to do the same,” he whispered, “It’s all anyone talks about. They just want to talk about the baby and the pregnancy. No one wants to talk about me. Even when they say ‘hey Max how are you?’, they don’t actually want to know. They mean ‘hey Max how are you doing in the pregnancy?’. And the answer is fucking shit. I hate it. My back hurts all the time, my emotions are all over the place and the idea of a child coming out of my body terrifies the living daylights out of me. But that doesn’t matter, does it? Because all everyone says is ‘yeah but imagine how happy you’ll be when the baby is here.’ I don’t want to be happy then! I want to be happy now.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because you’re excited, and you love telling people about him. But I don’t feel that at the minute. All I can feel is the pain of what I’m going to go through and I’m terrified, Daniel. I don’t know how to be happy when I’m _this_ scared.”

“It’s okay that you’re scared, Max. Things are going to change. It’s scary and we’re going to have responsibility that neither of us know how to deal with. But we’ve got each other, and we’ve got Kimi and Seb, and our parents. I know you’re scared and I understand that you feel like you’re losing yourself, but this is what our lives are going to be like for a little bit. And when he’s here, yeah, people are going to focus on him. But that’s just because he’s new and he’s special and he’s going to be amazing. People are excited, Max, and I don’t think they mean to upset you or scare you or anything. They’re scared as well, Max. Everyone wants you to be safe and healthy.”

“I’m scared I’m gonna turn out like my Dad,” He whimpered, his breath starting to come out in hiccups again. 

“You’re not going to be like him,” Daniel confidently reassured, “You’re nothing like him. You’re a perfect, amazing, funny, beautiful, special guy who has done in your four years of F1 more than he did in the entirety of his career. You’re 21, Max. And things are scary and they’re intense. But that’s why I’m here, okay? I’m here because I want to do this journey with you and we don’t give a rats arse about that fucker, do you understand?”

“What if he starts crying and I can’t make him stop?”

“Babies cry, Max, it’s normal. He’ll tire himself out eventually, it's what they do.”

“But what about-”

“Max, I love you, I do, and we can sit here and debate all the ‘what ifs’ until he gets here. But we still have three months to get used to it, and when he comes we’ll have to get used to everything again. But nothing is going to change between us, okay? Except we’ll probably be way more tired and have sex a bit less. That’s okay. Because we’ll have each other and we’ll have him.”

“I’m sorry for what I said,” Max said, pushing himself forward so that he could fall into Daniel’s arms. 

“Do you want to be his Dad?” Daniel asked as he wrapped his arms around Max. 

“Yeah, I think so. If you’ll stay by my side.”

“I’ll be holding yours and his hand every step of the way. Our little wombat needs us, and we’ll figure this all out together, okay? It’s alright to be scared, Max, but we’ll be scared together.”

Max nodded slowly and looked up at Daniel. When he looked into his eyes, he saw the fear and the nerves, but he saw the excitement and the hopes and dreams. He saw the way that Daniel wanted to kiss him and hold him and reassure him. 

And he saw the way that Daniel’s eyes darkened slightly as he gently pushed Max back onto the bed.

“But right now, I think I’ve got some making up to do for a bit of neglect on the loving side,” He murmured, brushing his lips over Max’s before he dipped down to brush his lips over the bump and whisper, “I’m just going to have some quality time with your Dad so if you could not wiggle that would be great.”

Max giggled through the few tears as he dragged Daniel back up into a bruising kiss. 

“I love you.”

“Love you more, Maxy. Now, lay back, and enjoy the show. I’m going to make you feel so fucking good,” Daniel grinned against Max’s cheek before making Max jump as he wrapped his fingers around him. 

Okay, Max thought, this was a pretty good make up between them. 

And when Daniel settled between his legs, for a moment, Max could pretend that everything was normal, that none of this had happened and they were okay.  
It was nice to have Daniel back between his legs again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It was weird being back with these guys in this verse, it's been so long, and even weirder not writing about Lukas himself. The lil dude will make a reappearance soon :)
> 
> Kudos, comments and feedback is always greatly appreciated💙
> 
> Tumblr at 3303andmore :D


	21. The one where it's Dan's first birthday as a Dad

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In a similar vein to the fic that started this verse off, this is the counterpart. The first birthday that the Dads celebrate as parents. 
> 
> It's pointless, it's soft, and I have no idea what the purpose of this is lmao
> 
> CW: mention of not liking your body (can't lie my brain stopped working and I can't think what the word is, but basically Max has a moment of not liking the way he looks)
> 
> Enjoy :)

“Shh, Lucky, shh, ga slapen, baby, ga slapen,” Max murmured as he bounced Lukas. 

Dan was still fast asleep, his hand outstretched towards Max’s side of the bed as though he was searching for the warmth of his boyfriend. But no. His boyfriend was out of bed, trying to get their three and a half month old baby boy back to sleep so that his Papa could have the lie in he deserves. 

Clearly Lukas was having none of it, and had decided that as the sky was awake at 5:22am on this brisk Monday morning in Monaco, he too should be awake.

Max shifted Lukas into one arm and rubbed at his eyes, grabbing his phone and going through to the living room. Lukas was still crying softly, not wailing anymore now that he was in his Daddy’s arms, but still crying. Instead of flopping onto the sofa like he wanted, Max carefully laid down and allowed Lukas to sprawl across his bare chest for a bit. Turning the tv on low, Max ran his fingers over Lukas’ back and watched some random comedy show that honestly he still didn’t get, but had become accustomed to watching in these early mornings with Lukas. 

It didn’t take long for Lukas to settle again, content to be held in Max’s arms and dribble against his chest. 

“It’s Papa’s birthday, Lucky,” Max whispered in soft Dutch after a while, causing his little son to shift and spin his bright blue eyes to look at Max, “We gonna make Papa some breakfast? And then take him to do some fun stuff?” Lukas looked up at him with wide (and so incredibly awake) eyes as though he was taking in what Max was saying. Max knew rationally that Lukas had no idea, but it wouldn’t stop Max talking to him.

“Right, let’s make Papa some breakfast, yeah?”

Max shifted up and put Lukas in his swing, fastening the belt around his shoulders, tummy and legs to ensure he was safe. As Max got to work in the kitchen, Lukas was gently being swung and never once took his eyes off Max. 

“What do you reckon, baby? It’s Papa’s birthday so what should he get for breakfast?” Max asked and Lukas gave him a gurgle in response, “Hm, yep, excellent choice. Papa loves avocado, doesn’t he?”

Max got to work heating up some water and vinegar in a pan, leaving it to boil before reducing it slightly and dropping some eggs in. He wasn’t exactly the _best_ cook, but since having Lukas and spending a lot of time at home, he’d learnt a few things. It was nice knowing that Lukas would grow up being able to see his Dads weren’t completely incompetent. 

As the eggs poached, Max mashed up avocado, chilli flakes and lemon juice before seasoning it with pepper. Lukas was offering up a running commentary as Max cooked, and Max knelt down in front of him for a moment to give him the attention he was desperately craving. He slowly stroked Lukas’ hands before leaning forward to kiss his forehead, smiling when he was rewarded with Lukas clutching onto his fingers and gurgling at him, and then got back to cooking. All that was left was toasting the bread and fishing the eggs out and they were done. It was an incredibly easy breakfast, but one of Dan’s favourites and honestly, it was his man’s birthday, he deserved a treat. 

By the time everything had been sorted, Lukas was grumbling in preparation for his own breakfast, and Max grabbed a bottle of milk from the side to warm up. 

“Have you got Papa’s card ready, baby?” Max asked and Lukas smiled somewhat, “I thought so.”

Max grabbed the plates of food and tucked Lukas’ bottle under his arm, leaving Lukas momentarily to place breakfast in their room. Dan was still fast asleep, curls matted around his forehead and his lips slightly open as he clutched onto Max’s pillow.

He placed the plates silently on the side along with Lukas’ bottle and then went back to fetch his son. Lukas patted Max’s face as they walked, his excitement growing when he realised he was getting into bed with his Papa.

Max very carefully laid Lukas down on the bed and Lukas automatically reached a hand out to press against Dan’s forehead.

“Wakey wakey Papa, it’s your birthday,” Max murmured, leaning across Lukas and kissing Dan’s cheek, “Wakey wakey.”

Dan grumbled and tried to curl back into the pillows however with Lukas’ incessant patting it wasn’t a probable solution.

“What?” Dan grumbled sleepily. 

“If you wake up, I’ll let you fuck me in the shower tonight,” Max murmured.

Dan blinked an eye open and stared at him, clearly enticed by the opportunity for shower sex. 

“Why?”

“Why what?”

“Why am I getting shower sex? What did I do?”

Max stared at him for a moment before laughing softly as he realised Dan had no idea what was going on. 

“Because it’s your birthday, and you’re thirty?”

“Oooooh,” Dan slowly realised pushing himself up into a sitting position and stretching his arms above his head. “Is it really?”

“Did you smack your head?” Max asked incredulously. Max picked Lukas up so that he could crawl across the bed and into Dan’s lap. 

“It doesn’t feel like it is,” Dan shrugged, tilting Max’s chin up and kissing him gently.

“Happy Birthday, Daniel,” Max whispered with Lukas held carefully in their arms. 

“Can we just stay here all day? Me, you, our boy, maybe when he goes down for a nap we can have sex?”

“Are you alright?” Max asked as Daniel fell back into the pillows, looking down at Lukas in Max’s arms and running his hands up and down Max’s body with a slightly odd expression on his face. 

“Fine.”

“Are you being a bitch because you’re thirty now so you’re an old man and you think you can’t be young enough to keep up with your toyboy and your son?”

“Did you seriously just call yourself a toyboy?” Dan asked, smiling softly. 

“Made you laugh, didn’t it?” Max smirked, cuddling into Dan slightly, “What’s up?”

“Just weird getting old. Especially when you’re so young.”

“You’re not old. You’re distinguished. Sophisticated, almost. And I can’t wait for you to go grey, I’m sure you’re going to look fucking hot,” Max muttered, biting ever so slightly on the underside of Dan’s jaw, “You know I love that look.”

“Horny little shit,” Dan bit back, however when Max looked at him, he saw the soft look on Dan’s face and knew that he’d cheered him up even the slightest. 

“Here,” Max leant across and grabbed a plate, passing it to Daniel, “We made breakfast.”

“I’m assuming Lukas dealt with the boiling water and you tried to work out what the function of an egg is?”

“Absolutely correct,” Max grinned, “He did all the hard work, told me what to do and then cried because he was hungry.”

“Honestly a mood. Thank you, baby,” Dan kissed Max’s cheek and let him slide off Dan’s lap. 

Dan hooked an arm around Max’s shoulder as Max fed Lukas, Lukas laying back in the crook of his arm with his tiny hands clutching onto Max’s fingers around the bottle. 

“This still doesn’t feel real,” Dan whispered, “I still can’t believe we have a baby.”

“I’m just surprised that we can change his nappy without a catastrophe to be fair. I’m pass the point of surprise that we’ve got a kid. I guess part of me does still think that this is a dream and then he screams awake at 5am and I’m like ‘ah yes, this is real’,” Max joked as he pulled the bottle away from Lukas to give him a breather and causing his son to wail, “Told you.”

“Here, pass him here, eat your breakfast, I’m done,” Dan said as he placed his empty plate on the bedside table, “It was so good, thank you baby.”

“It’s your birthday, it’s what you deserve,” Max shrugged as Dan took Lukas into his arms and started giving him the rest of the bottle. “Oh also, here, your cards.”

Max passed two cards to Dan, one in a bright teal envelope and one in a plain white envelope. 

Dan swapped so he could feed Lukas with one hand and clumsily open the cards with his free hand. 

The first card came from Lukas in the bright teal envelope, with a honey badger and a lion   
drawn in the corner, a tiny bear sat in between the two animals. Daniel laughed as he read the words printed on the outside of the card. 

“Papa I love you. I can’t write yet so… Daddy has forged my signature,” Dan read, laughing as he brushed Lukas’ curls off his head so he could kiss his forehead, “Thank you, Lucky, it’s a beautiful card.”

When he opened it, the words were written in Max’s scratchy handwriting, a simple ‘To Papa, Thank you for being the best Papa in the whole world. I love you, from Lukas’. 

“You’ve got your Daddy’s handwriting,” Dan joked as Max rolled his eyes. 

Dan opened Max’s card next, smiling at the bright yellow front. 

“Closest I could get to you being my ray of sunshine,” Max blushed.

The card front was sappy, soft navy blue text over the yellow saying ‘Happy Birthday. I know I don’t say it enough, but you are my favourite person’.

“Baby,” Dan murmured, tugging Max in and kissing him lightly. 

“Well you are.”

“You’re my favourite person too,” Dan reminded him, kissing him again and chasing the taste of avocado on Max’s lips before letting him go. He opened the card and saw the same scratchy handwriting.

_To Daniel, Happy Birthday. Thank you for being in my life and a Papa to our baby. I love you more every day. Max x_

Max blushed and looked down at his lap, shovelling more food into his mouth in distraction. 

“The minute I’m not holding our son anymore, I’m going to kiss you so hard,” Dan told him. 

“Shut up,” Max grumbled. He’d never been good with sappy, found it embarrassing and nerve wracking to open up his heart to someone, even the man he’d been dating for the last three years. And yet, Max was still one of the softest and most romantic men that Dan claimed to have ever met, and Max knew that no matter what he did, Dan wouldn’t stop believing it. 

Eventually they’d all finished breakfast and Lukas had stopped grumbling, leaving Max to put the plates into the dishwasher whilst Dan cleaned Lukas’ face up. 

“What’s the plan for today?” Dan asked as he came out of the bedroom. 

“Don’t shower,” Max warned him, walking up and tying his arms around Dan’s waist and kissing both Dan’s cheek and Lukas’, “I’m going to go and get your clothes out and then I’ll dress Lukas whilst you get ready, yeah?”

Max went back through to the bedroom and started rooting around, pulling drawers open and searching for the clothes they needed. As he searched, Max found a pair swim shorts of his own and one of Dan’s white shirts, leaving the top couple of buttons undone and the sleeves rolled up slightly. He left Dan a pair of swim shorts and a loose t-shirt on the bed before wandering back through and grabbing Lukas out of Dan’s arms. 

“Go get dressed,” Max told him without preamble, going through to Lukas’ nursery and laying him on his changing table. Max changed his nappy and slid on a swim nappy instead, Lukas sucking on the leg of his honey badger as Max tickled his tummy. Lukas happily laid there as Max pulled an ‘under the sea’ wetsuit onto him. Being the start of July, it was quite warm in Monaco and Max didn’t want Lukas to overheat, but still needed to be careful and so Max made sure to pack an extra blanket in with his stuff.

“Where the hell are we going?” Dan asked as he came into the nursery and saw Max putting Lukas in swim clothes and rubbing sun cream onto his baby’s skin, the man himself dressed in brightly coloured shorts, reflecting the pure chaos of his heart. 

“Go and get his carrier because it’ll be easier,” Max answered instead, pushing Dan out of the room and carrying Lukas into the kitchen. Max had already planned all of this in advance, preparing the lunch they’d need once he’d put Lukas and Daniel to bed the night before. 

It didn’t take long before Lukas was cuddled into Dan’s chest (a little hat wrapped around his head to protect him from the sun) in his carrier, Max with his backpack on his shoulders and they were walking the streets of Monaco, hand in hand. 

“Are you going to tell me where we are going yet?” Daniel asked as he swung their hands a bit. 

“Nope,” Max grinned, “You always say I have no self-control but you’re the one who has the patience of a two year old. Even Lukas has more control than you and he cries for every single reason.”

“And that’s why you love me,” Dan grinned, picking up their joint fingers and pressing a kiss to Max’s hand. 

“You’re a pain in the ass.”

“It’s my birthday you can’t be upset with me. And I promise there will be no pain in your ass tonight, I’ll be very gentle.”

“Oh for fucks sake,” Max sighed and shook his head slightly.

“What? It’s my birthday and you promised sex!”

“Dan! Our son is _literally_ attached to you, can you not talk about fucking me?” 

“You were the one that got me to wake up with the enticement of shower sex!”

“Yeah, but I’m not talking about the specifics of it when there is a baby literally thirty centimetres from your face!”

“He’s fast asleep!” And when Max looked across, Lukas was indeed slumped in the carrier with his mouth slightly and his head tilted in sleep. 

“Fine, we’re in public! You can’t talk about sex!”

“You’re boring,” Dan smirked, tugging Max in slightly and kissing his temple, “I love you.”

“You can still fuck me tonight you don’t have to get all sappy,” Max joked, blushing under Dan’s gaze. No matter how many times he was told that Dan loved him, he’d never get over it. 

“Just helps if I praise you and get you all weak for me now so that later on when I’m trying to slide into your pants you’re going to let me.”

“I hate you, Ricciardo.”

“I love you too, Verstappen.”

Max tugged Dan along into the harbour, smiling at someone as they walked past until they reached his destination. 

“Now, don’t think I like the fucker, but Charles lent us his boat so we could take it out and also we’ve got enough stuff that we can stay out for a few hours. Lukas has all his stuff and we have lunch, and I also put Lukas in his swim nappy so you can take him into the water _as long as_ you put his floaties on and keep him in his swim seat, okay?”

“Max Verstappen, please tell me that there’s a way we can put Lukas down for a nap so I can fuck you on the deck?” Dan asked, tugging Max in and tilting his jaw so he can kiss him. 

“I got Charles to put his spare baby seat on the boat, yes,” Max grinned. 

“Jesus Christ, I love you so much.”

Max kissed Dan back over Lukas’ head and ran his fingers over Dan’s jaw. 

“Happy Birthday, baby,” Max told him, stepping onto the boat and extending his hand to help Dan onto the boat. 

Lukas was still asleep as Dan carefully took him off, removing him and tucking him into his seat. 

“You’re driving,” Max told him, throwing the keys at him, “I don’t trust Leclerc that much.”

“And also you love watching me drive because you’re aroused by it.”

“There’s also that element of it,” Max admitted shamelessly, “Your muscles look hot when you’re driving.”

Lukas was fast asleep in his seat between Max’s ankles and as Dan slowly guided the boat out of the harbour, he carried on sleeping through the rumble of the engine below him. 

“I’ve never known a baby to sleep as well as he does,” Dan said, smiling at Lukas wiggling in his seat, “Especially in the car and on the boat.”

“Our boy has racing in his blood, of course he loves engines.”

“Do you think we can get him in a kart one day? I know he’s way too little right now, and honestly I know we could start him when he’s still like four years old, just like you, but I don’t want him competing too young and feeling obligated to do it because of who his Dads are?”

“We give him the option. Honestly, Dan, he’s most likely going to want to be in a kart, I know I did. Especially when we bring him to the races. I know you started when you were older, but I remember going to the races with Pa-… with _him_,” Max’s voice fell a little bit quieter however a gentle swipe of Dan’s thumb over his knuckles soothed him, “All I wanted was to be like my Dad. I wanted to race because I wanted to know what it was like being him. I can’t imagine Lukas won’t want to do the same. And if he wants to kart, we let him. If he doesn’t, he stops.”

“I remember talking with my Dad when I was young, the whole conversation about do I want to take this seriously or do I stop. If you think we can get him in a kart-”

“He goes in yours,” Max warned him, “He either races under your team or he doesn’t race at all. I’m not having people take advantage of him just because he’s a Ricciardo.”

Dan looked across at Max and gave him a look, but couldn’t see what Max was thinking about considering his eyes were covered by his sunglasses. 

“Did something happen?”

“Just some comments at the last few races. I don’t give a fuck what people think, our baby is happy and he can do what he wants. I don’t even care if he doesn’t like racing, he’s fucking happy and he’s three months old, why does his entire life need to be dictated now?”

“He is happy, you said it yourself, he’s more than alright,” Dan reminded him, “He’s such a happy baby, and he’s alive and healthy and we’ve not forgotten about him yet, we are doing great, as is Lu. It’s fine, Maxy.”

“I know.” Max leant down and unbuckled Lukas, picking him up and balancing him against his chest. “I don’t want him to grow up.”

“He’ll always be our baby,” Dan said, leaning across and running his fingers over Lukas’ back as he cut the engine, “No matter how grown up he is, even when he’s eighteen, he’ll always be our baby.”

“I can’t believe how much I love him. He’s just the best, all the time.”

“That’s how I feel about you all the time. Must be that Dutch blood, makes you extra special.”

Max rolled his eyes and shifted through Lukas’ bag of stuff to find his floating things. Dan had been waiting for Lukas to be old enough that he could take him in the water, and with him now able to support his own head and neck, they’d been told by his health visitor that he was okay to go in the water. And Dan being the water baby that he was, couldn’t wait for Lukas to be able to be allowed in with him. 

“Go on then, jump in,” Max told him as he saw Dan bouncing at his side and having stripped his shirt. 

Dan went running and divebombed off the edge of the water, splashing Max and Lukas slightly before bopping his head up under the water with a wide grin on his face as he shook his curls out. 

Lukas was awake by that point and gummily smiling at Dan, laughing in a way that only babies could as he looked at his Papa bopping in the sea. With a life-jacket, arm floats and safely secured into his floater, Max passed Lukas to Dan. Lukas instantly started squealing as the water hit his legs, and Max could see his little legs kicking out underneath him and catching at Dan’s chest as he slowly pushed him around. 

“You’re gonna be an Olympic swimmer, Lucky,” Dan laughed as he spun Lukas’ floatie in a circle. Max sat on the edge of the boat taking photos of them, grinning at the excited smiles on both his boys faces. 

When Max had asked Dan what he’d wanted for his birthday, he’d shrugged and said nothing, that he already had everything he wanted in the form of their little son and Max by his side. And now, as Max watched Dan spin Lukas in the water and ever so gently splash him, both of them grinning and laughing, Max knew he’d gifted his man the best birthday present he could. Dan was still the party boy, still loved going out and drinking and having loud music echo around him, however he enjoyed this too, with Max and Lukas and the quietness of their life. 

They bounced around in the water for a while, Dan cupping water and pouring it on Lukas’ hands and making him laugh whilst Max watched them. He folded his arms over the fencing and smiled at the two of them. No matter how much he loved being with Lukas, he adored watching Lukas with Dan more than anything. Dan was the absolute best parent in the world to their little boy, and with the excited grin on Dan’s face at Lukas’ happy squealing, he knew Dan was happy too. 

“Hey Daddy, are you gonna come and join us?” Daniel asked, waving Lukas’ hand as though it was him talking and knocking Max out of his thoughts. 

“I’m going to stay here,” Max smiled, “You two have fun.”

“Why? Come in with us.”

“It’s fine, Dan.” 

“Maxy,” Dan groaned, moving Lukas for Max to lift him out of the water and wrap him in a towel to brush away the water from his legs and damp suit. 

Dan climbed onto the boat after him and sauntered up to Max, pushing his hands under the linen of Max’s shirt and rubbing across his skin, no matter how much Max tried to push him away. 

“I love your body, seriously, I love it a lot.”

“I know you do, but I don’t,” Max shrugged. He’d sometimes walk around without his shirt on at home, however in the openness of the sea (even though admittedly there was nobody else around), Max felt vulnerable and he didn’t want people to see him. He wasn’t ashamed that his body had housed Lukas and grown him into a beautiful little baby, but it didn’t mean that he didn’t hate the way he looked most of the time.

“Baby-”

“Dan, can we not? Not now. Let’s just enjoy your birthday, okay?”

Dan took Lukas out of Max’s arms and put him back into his seat, securing him safely and turning the seat slightly before waltzing back over to Max. The sun was shining down on them, highlighting the beautiful droplets of water cascading down Dan’s tanned skin and creating rainbows of beauty across him. 

“Come here, handsome,” Dan crooned, wrapping his arms around Max’s waist and tugging him in. 

His hands sneaked up under Max’s shirt again, pressing against his tummy and shimmying his shirt up slightly as he kissed Max deeply. 

“Dan, Dan we’re in public-” Max moaned against his lips.

“We’re in the middle of fucking nowhere, we’re not going to see anyone-”

“Lukas-”

“Is turned around in his seat, he can’t see shit.”

“Dan-”

“Trust me, baby,” Dan whispered, tugging Max down onto the deck and laying Max on his back. 

“I hate you so much,” Max replied, his fingers tracing the muscles across Dan’s back but laughing softly as Dan’s tactile fingers started to undo Max’s shirt. Dan traced each unbuttoning with a kiss to Max’s body and sucking light marks across the light skin of Max’s tummy. 

“It’s my birthday, Maxy Moo, can I please-”

“Lukas is going to need a feed in about half an hour. If you can get us both off and give us time to get clean, you are more than welcome to do with me what you want.”

Dan grinned dirtily and pushed off Max, checking Lukas was fully shaded and dry and content in his seat before going back to Max.

“You’re the fucking worst,” Max laughed as Dan let Max’s shirt flap open and pulled his shorts down. 

“And that’s why you love me,” Dan told him, “Best birthday ever.”

And for Dan, it most definitely was. He was a simple man, after all. His son, his boyfriend, and the sun. Frankly that was all Dan needed. 

The sex was definitely just an added birthday bonus. 

Tonight, Lukas would stay at his Uncle Charles’, allowing Max and Dan to go out for dinner together and then have the night free to do _whatever they wanted_. Everyone knew that it amounted to having a lot of sex now that their son wasn’t around for them to try and muffle themselves, but here on the boat, with Lukas distracted by the waves and the sun warming their hearts, Max let Dan have him. 

His man was happy. It was his birthday, and he was happy. 

It was an Instagram post from later in the day that truly made Max smile though. 

His hair was messy (three guesses from whose hands), his shirt was off and his smile was directed at one man, a baby in his arms who also only had smiles for one man. The man in question had his arm stretched around them and the other in front of them, all of them squinting at each other from the light. 

**danielricciardo**: _The only birthday presents I’ll ever need _  
**maxverstappen1**: _That was cute did your mum tell you to write it? _

Dan’s eyes darkened when he read it, hours after they’d got back from dinner and Max had given him a few presents. They were nothing fancy, a new watch, jumper, painting of Lukas’ hands and feet shaped into a heart for him to keep in his driver room. 

But letting Dan press him into the mattress and tell him just how much he loved Max being cheeky, that was the best birthday present Dan would get that year.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I forgot how to write max and dan as parents lmao
> 
> kudos, comments & feedback always greatly appreciated💙
> 
> Tumblr is at 3303andmore


	22. The one where Max really wants to kill Daniel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> based on a prompt from **phtxgwynn** who said _i don't know have you listened to daniel's podcast yet, but the way daniel taught his nephew to say 'cash money bitches' must be the good idea to make max's mad at him 😂 it's just my silly idea _ and honestly this just descended into chaos lmao
> 
> hope you enjoy :) x

“Mr Ricciardo, can we have a word?”

Max never tired from hearing his son’s teachers call him Mr Ricciardo.

Hearing the ‘can we have a word’ though? Yeah. He was tired of that.

His son was _three years old_. What the hell was he doing that meant he was constantly getting in trouble at _nursery_ for Christ’s Sake?

“Yeah, of course,” Max nodded, lifting his son into his arms and following his son’s teacher into a small office.

“We’ve had a couple of issues in the past few days regarding Lukas’ language.”

“Right.” Max said shortly, prepared to start an argument if his son’s teacher was pissed that Lukas sometimes messed up English and Dutch. He was _3 years old_ give the kid a break.

“Lukas, do you want to tell Daddy what you kept saying?” The teacher asked.

Lukas looked innocently up at Max and smiled, his soft blue eyes blinking tiredly as he sucked on the sleeve of his red school uniform’s jumper. Carefully, Max pulled the material from Lukas’s mouth and stared at his son.

“Lukas, tell Daddy what you said.” Max repeated when Lukas gave his teacher no response.

“Papa,” Lukas nodded.

“And what was it Papa said, Lukas?”

“Cash money bit’hes,” Lukas told him brightly, smiling at Max.

“Oh god,” Max murmured, closing his eyes and running his hand through his hair. “I am so sorry I have no idea when Daniel taught him that. I’ll have words with him.”

Lukas’ teacher looked somewhat amused at Max as he apologised.

“It’s fine, none of the other kids have been repeating it and he mostly has been saying it to himself more than anything. He adores playing in the shop corner and he talks to himself as he’s ‘stocking shelves’ and saying ‘it’s time to get the cash money b-word’. But obviously it’s not something he _should_ be doing, hence why we had to mention it to you,” she explained as Max progressively got more red.

“I am seriously so sorry. I really don’t know how he’s learnt it-”

“Kids pick up anything, Mr Ricciardo, it’s not uncommon. In the same way that he repeats ‘keep pushing’, you’ve probably said it without realising around him, he’s picked it up and copied it because Daddy says it. It’s normal, kids do that. They want to be like their parents.”

“I’m still going to-” Max placed his hands over Lukas’ ears and caused his little boy to look up at him curiously as Max finished his sentence, “-murder Daniel.”

“Daddy! Daddy! We go see Papa!” Lukas protested as he realised he couldn’t hear what Max was saying, tugging on Max’s hands as his teacher laughed. 

“Yes, we’re going to go and see Papa and tell Papa off for teaching you naughty things,” Max told him as he pulled his hands away, lifting Lukas into his arms again as he stood. “Is that everything?”

“That’s everything, Mr Ricciardo, I’ll see you tomorrow,” she smiled, “And goodbye Lukas.”

“Bye bye,” Lukas waved, his head falling into the crevice between Max’s shoulder and neck, slowly falling to sleep. 

“Right buddy, we need to get your backpack, and your coat, and your lunch box, and then we can go home, okay?”

Lukas nodded and pointed at his coat peg as Max walked into the cloakroom, shimmying against Max until he placed him on the floor. On slightly wobbly and sleepy legs, Lukas ran back through nursery to go to the lunchbox bin and grab his Paw Patrol themed lunchbox with all the dogs on it, before sprinting back and practically throwing it at Max. 

“Here Daddy!”

“Put your coat on kiddo and then you’re going to carry it to the car, yeah?”

Max got down on his knees and ignored the mums still picking up the last of their children, all eyeing the hot young dad. There was nothing weirder than mums on the school run flirting with him no matter how many times he’d flashed both his wedding ring and his actual husband. As in, the actual husband who Max looked at like he was the most amazing being in the world and made Max smile more than anything. 

As in, the husband who had abs and muscles that could throw their 3 year old around _and_ also throw Max against a wall and fuck him there. It was effective. Max rather enjoyed it.

(By rather he means very much so enjoyed it)

Max helped Lukas into his jacket, a cream jacket with blue dinosaurs printed across it, and zipped it up, pulling the hood up around Lukas’ curls as the rain started coming down. 

“Right, shall we go find Papa?” Max asked, passing Lukas his lunchbox again and shouldered his son’s little Dumbo themed backpack and started to walk him out of nursery. 

“Hi Max,” one of the mum’s crooned and Max offered her the most awkward and uncomfortable smile he could. 

“Hi.”

“You should join us for Friday drinks, Max, you could even bring that man that you often have around,” she told him and Max tightened his hand on Lukas’ little fingers. 

“You mean my husband? Lukas’ father?”

“You don’t have to lie about him, Max-”

“If you google my name, you will see that I have a husband, and his name is Daniel Ricciardo, and I am very much in love with him and I don’t lie about him and he is the best man I could possibly want, and-”

“Papa makes Daddy smile, you make Daddy sad,” Lukas said, jumping in a puddle at Max’s side as he innocently looked up at the mum in question. 

“That’s not a very nice thing to say, Lukas!” The mum said as she looked at Max expectantly, clearly expecting him to chastise his son. 

“He’s right,” Max shrugged, “When you start treating both myself and my husband with more respect, then he will start being nicer. I’ve politely declined, now I’m going to be rude.”

The Mum scoffed and raised an eyebrow at Max, “Can see where he gets his attitude from then.”

“He is my kid, after all,” Max smirked, “Now, I’m going to go home. I’ll tell _my husband_ you said hi, Karen.”

“My name isn’t Karen!”

“You act like one. Come on, Lucky, let’s go find Papa.” 

As Max and Lukas walked away from nursery, Max could feel the eyes of numerous parents looking at him, but he didn’t care. Not only did he and Daniel stand out for being Lukas’ parents, he also knew that in contrast to the way he acted on the track, he was seen by the other parents as ‘the quiet one’. And for it to be the first time he’d lost his temper whilst Lukas had happily bounced at his side, he knew that the School Run Mums would be watching to see how Lukas grew up. 

The answer was, he’d grow up to be a wonderful young man because Kimi will actually murder Max if Max let his grandson grow up with an attitude. 

Also, Max didn’t need the media to have more reasons to hate him. They already adored Lukas, it was best to keep it that way. 

Which is why it was now his job to turn off _Max Ricciardo_ mode and go back to being Lukas’ Daddy.

“Lukas baby, what has Daddy told you about not repeating the naughty words that Papa tells you?”

“Don’t do it,” Lukas told him. 

“Yes, exactly. And do you know what naughty words you said?”

“Cash money bit’hes?” God Max was so glad Daniel wasn’t around to hear this because whilst yes it was incredibly adorable and hilarious the way Lukas said it, they really did need to stop him speaking like this.

“That’s it, Luk. And you can say cash and money because they’re normal good words, but that last word is a naughty word, okay? And I know Papa says it but Papa is naughty-”

“Papa gon’ get time out?” Lukas asked innocently, looking up at Max with wide eyes.

“Papa will get told off, yes. Just like you will if you say it again, okay?”

“Yes Daddy.”

“Good boy. Now, did you have a nice day at school?” Max changed the subject as he reached the car, opening the backdoor of his Aston Martin for Lukas to climb in. He dropped his lunchbox into the footwell before him and let Max pick him up to be put into his booster seat. 

“Got to play with Morgan and we went on the slide and Morgan felled off-”

“He fell off, Lukas, not felled,” Max corrected. 

“Morgan fell off the slide and he got Miss Cross to give him his apple early ‘cause he said his hand hurt but then he got to go on the bikes and I beat him ‘cause Papa told me I gotta ride really really fast and I did.”

“You won the race? You’re good at racing, aren’t you baby?”

“Can I go in your car now?”

“Maybe when you’re a bit bigger.”

“I’ll ask Papa,” Lukas grinned, even at three years old knowing he’d got his Papa whipped. 

“You are not getting in your Papa’s car,” Max warned. 

“Daddy!” Lukas whined, his bottom lip jutting out as he watched Max do the last of his buckling in of Lukas into his seat. 

“I don’t care. You and your Papa are still in trouble and that means no getting to drive Papa’s race car.”

“Aww.”

Max pushed Lukas’ hood off his head and brushed a kiss across his hairline. 

“Start behaving better and you can go in Papa’s car.”

Lukas pouted and frowned at Max. 

“Mean Daddy.”

“I know,” Max agreed, dropping Lukas’ backpack onto the floor and shutting the car door behind him. 

Lukas kept up his pout the entire drive home, staring daggers into Max’s soul every time that Max looked up at his son in the rear-view mirror. He couldn’t even find it in himself to be mad about it because Lukas frowning was genuinely hilarious and he looked way too like Daniel did (normally Daniel was pouting when Max said no to sex though, there was an important distinction there). 

“If you don’t stop frowning your face will get stuck like that,” Max warned him. 

“Good.” Lukas muttered, making Max laugh, “Daddy mean.”

“I’ll tell Papa you’re making Daddy sad.”

“No!”

“Going to stop being moody then?”

“No.”

“You spend too much time with Uncle Charles. You’re getting as dramatic as him.”

“What does dram’tic mean?” Lukas asked, his frown finally dropping.

“You know when you’re being silly and Papa laughs at you, or when Papa keeps saying ‘I will cry if I don’t get a hug from Daddy’?”

“Yeah?”

“That’s being dramatic. You’re being silly for no reason.”

“Why is Uncle Charlie dram’tic?”

“Because Uncle Charles likes to throw a strop when he doesn’t beat Daddy on the racetrack.”

“But Daddy better?”

“Yes I am baby.”

“So why Uncle Charlie think he better?”

“Because he’s silly, baby.”

“Silly Uncle Charlie,” Lukas sighed, shaking his head sadly. 

“Yes Lukas, Uncle Charlie is very silly.”

Yeah, he probably shouldn’t be teaching his kid to call Charles Leclerc (or anyone, really) _silly_, but Charles deserved it. 

That’s what he gets for flirting with Max’s husband. 

And also stealing Max’s son. 

~

“PAPA! UNCLE MIKEY!” Lukas screamed as he sprinted through the house, running straight through to the kitchen to find Daniel and Michael in there prepping some dinners. 

Michael picked Lukas up and spun him in a circle, causing him to laugh loudly and bat at Michael. 

“Hey baby,” Daniel murmured as Max walked into the kitchen, only to stop and hold his hands up when he saw Max glaring at him with one eyebrow raised. 

“We’re late home.” Max told him.

“Yes?”

“Do you know why?”

“No?”

“I got called into the office, to talk with Lukas’ teacher.”

“Is everything okay?” Daniel asked, immediately turning and looking at Lukas and seeing that aside from his trainers being wet and some old bruises on his knees from where he’d fell over a few days ago, he looked fine.

“I had to have a conversation with her about the things that Lukas does at school.”

“Lukas, baby, what did you do?” Daniel asked, carefully tilting Lukas’ head as Michael cradled him tight, checking him over to see if he’d been in a fight or anything.

“Lukas, why don’t you tell Papa and Uncle Mikey what we talked about?”

“Bad words,” Lukas told them, smiling brightly. 

“Bad words?” Dan repeated, looking across at Max.

“Lukas, do you want to tell Papa what word Daddy told you not to repeat again?”

“Cash money bit’hes,” Lukas told them, dropping his head onto Michael’s shoulder, “Daddy says can’t say it ‘cause it’s got bad word and Papa said it too.”

“If you ever,” Max told him, slowly approaching Daniel and looking borderline murderous as Daniel bit his lip to stop himself from laughing, “_Ever_ teach our child to swear again, I will withhold s-e-x from you for a month. And if he does it again after that, I hope you become very well acquainted with your hand because I can guarantee you won’t be coming near me until our son learns to stop repeating the naughty things Papa teaches him.”

“Babe come on-” Daniel said as he tried to put his arms around Max’s waist.

“No.” Max said shortly, holding his hand up and pushing Dan backwards, “I’m serious. He’s three years old, Daniel. He doesn’t even know how to spell his own name. He shouldn’t be swearing and he doesn’t need to be repeating the things that you teach him.”

“Baby-”

“Stop. I don’t care how many times you try and convince me you did nothing wrong or didn’t intend for him to learn it. He learnt it once, that’s enough. And don’t try and tell me he learnt it from somewhere else because you are the only person stupid enough to say it.”

“I think you should stop whilst you’re ahead Dan,” Michael interjected, bouncing Lukas as he saw Max get slowly more murderous behind the eyes. “Or I think you’ll end up dead.”

Dan looked between them all for a moment and then nodded. 

“Fine. I’ll stop.”

“I’m serious,” Max warned him. 

“I know,” Dan agreed, reaching out and finally wrapping his arm around Max’s waist to pull him in. “I promise our son will not repeat the naughty things I say at nursery anymore.”

“He better not, Daniel,” Max said, leaning in and kissing Dan lightly, “I’m serious.”

“He won’t use swear words at nursery anymore!”

Max narrowed his eyes but nodded, pulling away from Dan so that he could empty Lukas’ lunchbox and sort out some other stuff whilst Michael and Daniel continued prepping dinner with Lukas. 

“You put a lot of emphasis on _nursery_ then, Dan,” Michael quietly said as Lukas started to fall asleep in Michael’s arms from the gentle swaying and bouncing from his favourite uncle. 

“I know,” Dan grinned devilishly, “I’m gonna get him to say it when I get on the podium.”

“Do you actually want to die?”

“You gotta admit, it’d be hilarious.”

“I’m gonna start looking for a new job,” Michael said instead. 

And honestly? It was a good job he did. 

Because when Dan got on the podium a few weeks later and Lukas was asked how he felt about Papa winning, he repeated ‘Papa got that cash money bit’hes’ and Max ended up chasing Dan through the paddock with Lukas held on Michael’s shoulder as they watched Max try to get his hands around Dan’s neck to strangle him. 

And as funny as it was to everyone else, Lukas was just tired and he didn’t really care about anything other than falling asleep with his head pillowed on top of Michael’s, which honestly, no one minded at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lukas and Michael are the ultimate duo and you can't convince me otherwise
> 
> kudos, comments & feedback always greatly appreciated💙
> 
> Tumblr is at 3303andmore xx


	23. The one where Max tells Daniel off [EXPLICIT]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so this wasn't what I planned on posting today, but the idea just kinda went off the rails and I still wanted to post something for this fic today bc it's the 1 year anniversary of this fic and I love my chaotic little Ricciardo family, so here we go
> 
> this does get explicit, so if you don't want to read the smut in it, just finish reading from where it says 'bonus scene'. subsequent chapters should remain pretty PG :)
> 
> based on a message from **Tumblr anon** following on from the previous chapter which said: _not to be nsfw but every time max subtly threats daniel for being a little immature, daniel fucks him in the shower because the kids are sleeping and they can't hear how loud their daddy gets when papa is fucking him <3 _
> 
> hope you enjoy :)

“Daniel!” Max shouted through the house and Daniel instinctively shared a look with his eldest.

“Daddy angry,” Lukas pointed out helpfully and Daniel nodded.

“I think you’re right buddy.”

“Daniel Joseph Ricciardo!” Max shouted again and this time even Jak looked up from his colouring.

“Why Daddy yelling?”

“‘Cause Papa is in trouble,” Lukas told his little brother who simply shrugged and went back to colouring. 

“Daniel I swear to God!”

“Lu, watch your brother for me,” Daniel told him. The two eldest boys were currently finishing up some homework. Lukas’ was some literacy work that honestly Daniel had no idea on and Jak was doing some colouring for art. _That_ he understood. 

He also understood that his youngest was meant to be being fed by Max right now, thus meaning Daniel had no idea why he was being yelled at.

When he walked into the nursery, Daniel found Max holding the baby in his arms and looked totally fine.

Only Daniel knew Max’s moods. 

And he was definitely not fine right now.

“Hello, darling,” Daniel murmured, voice low to try and entice Max into not being angry with him.

“I’m going to kill you.”

“What did I do?!” Daniel asked as he threw his hands up in exasperation.

He hadn’t taught Jak to swear yet. Lukas hadn’t gotten in trouble. The baby had behaved whilst at the factory with Daniel. He'd done nothing wrong. 

Probably

Distinct chance he might've forgotten something and/or messed up in some manner. 

“May I remind you that you love and adore me?” Daniel asked and lifted his youngest from Max’s arms and cradled him close as a form of protection from Max.

“What the fuck is that?” Max pointed at a piece of paper on Ruben’s bedside table and Daniel helpfully shrugged.

“Literature.”

“He is four months old!”

“Daddy! Can we get-”

“No!” Max shouted back, pre-emptively knowing that Lukas was about to yell and ask for ice cream from the ice cream truck. 

“Whyyyyyy?!” Lukas asked and Max stared pointedly at Daniel when Lukas and Jak ventured away from the living room to find their parents.

“Because Papa is being silly again. And if your Papa hadn’t been silly, we could have treats, couldn’t we?”

“Papa!” Jak admonished, his hands resting on his little hips and looking way too like Max for Daniel’s liking. Seriously. It was like looking in a mirror sometimes.

It was adorable but kinda creepy just how like Max Jak was. Lukas seemed to be a healthy mix of them both but Jak? Pure Max.

“Boys, can you go and put your toys and school stuff away? Daddy needs to finish talking to Papa,” Max asked them and Lukas grabbed his little brother and turned on their heels to go and do as Max asked.

“Seriously, Daniel. What if Jak had seen it? Or Lukas?”

“It’s not a big deal. It’s a dick drawn on some paper. It’s nothing important.”

“Why is it on our four month old child’s bedside table?!”

“Because I finished at the factory late with Ru and had to quickly change him before I went to fetch the kids from school and just put down all my papers from the factory on the table without thinking.”

“You need to start being more responsible,” Max warned him and Daniel raised an eyebrow. “We have three kids. I’m not fucking taking care of you too.”

“Oh darlin’,” Daniel drawled and stepped closer to Max, free hand sliding up Max’s body to tangle in the short hairs at the nape of his neck, “You will take care of me.”

“No.”

“Yes,” Daniel countered.

He turned and placed Ruben in his Moses basket for a moment and pulled Max into him, hands sliding down his body to press into the back pockets of his jeans and pull his hips in to press against Dan's own.

“Are you threatening me, Max Ricciardo?”

“Get yourself off. See if I care,” Max bit back, however Daniel saw the mischief in his eyes. 

“I’d rather you did it for me.”

“Grow up.”

“No.”

“You don’t deserve me,” Max countered and Daniel smirked.

“Yeah I do. You’re mine, forever, baby boy. Doesn’t matter how old we get, you’ll always be mine.”

“If you want to fuck around and act like a child, I’ll treat you like one. You can sleep on the sofa until you grow up.”

“I’d rather sleep with you, darlin,” Daniel said and when Max’s eyes fluttered and he let out a moan disguised as a huff, he knew he’d got him.

“When we get the kids to bed, we’re having a shower,” Daniel said and kissed Max’s neck. “I’ll show you who is in charge around here.”

“Papa! I need you to listen to me read!” Jak yelled through the house (none of their kids had the ability to _speak_, only yell), and Max broke into soft laughter, dropping his head onto Daniel’s shoulder and tying his arms around his back, the moment of being Max and Daniel over and back instead to being The Dads.

“I miss the days when we could have sex whenever we wanted.”

“I reckon we’ve got another six months before we can hand parental responsibilities over to Lukas,” Daniel laughed.

“He can already forge our signatures,” Max agreed before kissing Daniel’s shoulder one last time and letting go of him.

Back to being Dads, Daniel sighed and left the room to go in search of his middle son.

Arguably the most chaotic of the three.

It was at least good that Jak still fumbled over his words when reading a lot that Daniel was distracted by cuddling, reassuring and sounding the words out with Jak that he wasn’t getting distracted thinking about Max in the shower later.

God he was beautiful.

Beautiful body. Beautiful eyes. Beautiful face.

Stunning ass.

And all Daniel’s.

— BONUS SCENE —

“Shh, baby,” Daniel whispered in Max’s ear as he pressed him into the tiles. “The kids are sleeping.”

All three boys had gone to bed without problems. Jak and Lukas both had been tucked in with their blankies and cuddly toys, they had their water bottles of water in case they needed a drink and Ruben was fast asleep also. 

They were pros at stealth sex at this point.

The water cascaded down around them as Daniel pushed Max’s arms up the tiles, hands sliding against his skin effortlessly. Holding Max’s wrists right above his head, Daniel pulled Max’s rear back slightly, the pair of them moaning as it brushed against Daniel’s cock.

“Don’t hold back,” Daniel murmured in his ear as he pushed into Max with one hard thrust. 

“Shit,” Max whimpered. Daniel set an almost brutal pace instantly, barely giving Max chance to adjust. 

He’d already drawn out the foreplay, keeping his fingers in Max’s ass stretching him open for way longer than normal as he teased his tongue around the head of Max’s cock. And now Max was begging for it. 

Not that he’d admit it.

“You gonna threaten me again?” Daniel asked. His hand came to rest against Max’s stomach, holding him in place as he thrusted hard into him. The sound of skin slapping against skin had Max moaning loudly, combined with Daniel angling his thrusts just so in order that he avoided Max’s prostate. 

“Shouldn’t- fuck- shouldn’t break rules,” Max countered breathlessly as his forehead smacked into the tiles. “Dan please, come on, baby-”

“I’m in charge around here. You don’t tell me what to do,” Daniel told him, slapping Max’s ass hard.

“Please!” Max moaned as Daniel’s thrusts started to get slightly more erratic. 

“My baby,” Daniel whispered.

“Yours. All yours. Please-”

“My baby-” Daniel continued, ignoring Max, “-shouldn’t be telling me what to do.”

“I won’t, please, need you.”

“But you did. You always do. It’s cute how you think you’re in charge,” Daniel said before changing his angle to knock against Max’s prostate.

Max’s moans were getting louder and so Daniel shoved his hand across Max’s mouth, dropping from holding his wrists.

“Keep your wrists right there. Don’t break _my_ rules.”

Max went wide eyed under Daniel’s hand and nodded frantically.

“Such a good boy, at least you are when you know your place. You don’t break _my rules_ and you don’t threaten me, Maxy. Or I’ll just have to own your ass again, won’t I?” Daniel murmured so he could watch that wave of pleasure roll through Max at being told off.

All these years together and Max was still the brat that Daniel had first fallen in love with.

It was cute how Max still tried to be the one in charge.

Daniel knew when to be firm with the kids and when he could be fun, as did Max. They knew how to be ‘in charge’ when it came to the kids. 

It was just when Max tried to be in charge of Daniel that it all went to shit.

His husband still screamed to be dominated and told what to do and to be punished for telling Daniel what to do.

Daniel pulled out of Max just as he was getting close and spun Max around, pushing him onto his knees. Max raised his arm to hold Daniel’s hip, stopping the shower water from smacking him in the face as he sucked Daniel down, looking up at Daniel with wide ocean blues that Daniel still got lost in all these years later. 

Max moaned around Daniel’s cock, eyes closing in bliss and sucked with more vigour as Daniel’s hand tightened in his hair to guide him. Not that he needed to. Max knew what he was doing. It was more the reminder that Daniel was the one in charge.

He was also pleased to notice that Max never once touched his own cock. He was a good boy.

“Max, baby, I’m so close-” Daniel groaned and Max hollowed his cheeks to rock his tongue around Daniel’s cock more.

It didn’t take much longer for Daniel to cum down Max’s throat who swallowed it down instantly, fingers wiping his chin and sucking them dry before Daniel could tell him to.

“And you still think you’re in charge of me,” Daniel smirked. “Now get up.”

Max scrambled up and Daniel shoved him back into the tiles, wrapping his fingers around Max’s cock. It was leaking and red, the overwhelming need to cum meaning that the second Daniel got his hand on it, Max was already moaning loudly.

“Cum for me baby, follow my rules,” Daniel said and pressed their lips together, drinking in Max’s moans.

Max came across Daniel’s abs, shaking through his orgasm and Daniel wrapped his arm around Max’s waist to hold him up.

As Max came down from his orgasm, Daniel pressed kisses to Max’s shoulder and neck, smiling when he felt Max’s heavy breathing hit him.

“I swear you only tell me off so I’ll fuck you,” Daniel said.

“It’s really took you until now to realise that? Fucking hell, Dan, I’ve been doing it to you since Lukas was three.”

Daniel looked up sharply to see Max’s shit-eating grin.

“You little bastard.”

“You’re so dense,” Max laughed and kissed Daniel to distract him.

It didn’t work, but still.

It was a good job the kids were staying with their grandparents this weekend to give Max and Daniel chance to get some stuff done that was impossible with the kids around. 

They had actual parent-jobs to do, but Daniel also planned on tying Max to the bed and having his wicked way with him and it would absolutely be the highlight of a child-free weekend. 

It was time to wipe that grin off Max’s face. 

Cocky little shit.

He was lucky Daniel loved him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no self control
> 
> happy birthday max, u delightfully funky lil human being
> 
> also yes that is a third tiny human in this family. dan really has issues keeping his hands off max lmao
> 
> kudos, comments & feedback always greatly appreciated💙
> 
> Tumblr is at 3303andmore💙


	24. The one where Daniel gets a podium

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I started this Sunday evening and meant to post it yesterday but instead you can have it now lmao
> 
> There’s not _much_ of Lukas in this one, however he’s still integral to the plot so idk hope you enjoy lmao 
> 
> yes I am still emotional over the Maxiel podium xx

The second they got off the podium, away from prying eyes, Max wrapped his arms around Daniel’s neck and refused to let go.

“Are you crying?” Daniel laughed softly, running his hands up and down Max’s shaking back as Max cried in his arms and kissing his temple.

“Yeah,” he confirmed. He pulled back from where he’d pressed his face into Daniel’s shoulder and cupped his jaw, an excited grin on his face as tears streamed down his face.

“Our first podium together since before we had Lukas,” Max told him through the tears.

“Told our boy I’d get us on the podium. He’s magic.”

“He’s eighteen months old.”

“Three years, Max. Three years since we was on that podium together. And we did it. Lukas can finally tell people his Dads are champions.”

Max nodded and curled into Daniel again, wrapping his arms around him as tight as he could. 

“I could’ve overtaken you on the restart,” Daniel whispered.

Instantly Max started laughing and shook his head lightly, “No you couldn’t, you idiot.”

“I just thought podium position three for driver number three sounded sexy so I thought I’d stay there.”

“Oh so you let me have p2?”

“Gotta get you closer to Bottas in the championship baby, my baby needs to be p2, alright?”

Any reply Max was going to give was cut off by Vicky coming round the corner, a restless Lukas instantly babbling and yelling ‘Papa!’ when he saw them in her arms.

“Someone wanted to congratulate Daddy,” Vicky murmured, smiling as she passed Lukas over to Daniel.

Max stepped back as Daniel spun Lukas in a circle above his head (definitely not watching the way his arm muscles shifted under his race suit), smiling as Lukas giggled loudly and tried to take Daniel’s hat off his head.

Once Lukas was back on Daniel’s hip, Max stepped closer and hugged both of his boys tight, smiling against Daniel’s shoulder when Lukas now started grabbing at Max’s hat too. 

“Dada hat!” Lukas whimpered, hand opening and closing pitifully. 

Max took his hat off his head and also Daniel’s, putting them down on Lukas’ head with the brims facing opposite ways.

“Happy now?” Max asked and ran his fingers down Lukas’ cheek. Lukas grinned and nodded, not minding when the caps slipped slightly and he couldn’t see.

“I got on that podium just for you, bub, show you your Papa’s still got it,” Daniel whispered against Lukas’ temple, ignoring Max who was staring at him.

“He’s knows his Papa is talented. He knows his Papa is a winner. You’re our inspiration, Dan.” Max ran his fingers through Daniel’s sweaty curls as he spoke softly. Daniel didn’t say anything, simply tightened his arm around Max’s waist and kissed Lukas’ temple. He had his eyes closed, contentness bleeding through. And if Max had to guess, there’d also be relief coursing through his veins. 

Relief that he could prove that he was good enough. 

He’d put that Renault on the podium, stayed p3 for the majority of the race, battled hard until the last second and proven that he was an amazing driver for that exact reason.

And he was getting to give Cyril a tattoo. 

Honestly, if Max didn’t know how stressed and anxious Daniel had been about being able to prove he was good enough that he could put that Renault on the podium, he’d think Daniel had only been so persistent to get p3 for that reason. 

“We’re so proud of you, mijn liefje,” Max whispered, pushing Lukas’ head out the way slightly so that he could kiss Daniel’s lips, not wanting to be smacked in the face by the caps that Lukas was obsessed with. “_I’m_ so proud of you.”

“Couldn’t have done it without you two,” Daniel murmured back.

“Yeah you would have. You got podiums before us, you’ll still get podiums with us.”

Daniel shrugged and pecked Max’s lips again, “Yeah but you two are the greatest motivators there are. And I’m now fourth in the championship so I can chase your ass down.”

Max smirked dirtily and leant into Daniel, making sure to keep his voice as low as possible and his lips brush the shell of Daniel’s ear.

“The only chasing I hope you’re doing is chasing me to the bedroom.”

“You little-”

“Media duties, boys,” Vicky interrupted, taking Lukas into her arms again. “Let’s hand Lukas over to favourite Uncle Mikey and you two can misbehave in the press pen, okay?”

Max and Daniel exchanged a grin and followed after Vicky. Michael was waiting to take Lukas off her, with Daniel’s trainer rolling his eyes when he saw Daniel’s hand pushing lower and lower down Max’s back until his fingers were resting on his ass. 

“I thought you two being parents would mean you’d stop being so fucking horny all the time,” Michael complained.

“Oi, no swearing in front of my son,” Max replied.

“You literally called me an effin c-bomb yesterday,” Daniel smirked, “_Whilst_ I was eating with Lukas.”

“You deserved it,” Max shrugged. 

“How did I deserve it?!”

“Boys! As beautiful as this is, we have media to do, now come on!” Vicky complained, smacking both Max and Daniel by the shoulder and grabbing hold of Max to pull him after her as she mumbled under her breath. “Get a job working in F1 they said, it’ll be fun they said. Most fun is when I work with the toddler. Only the toddler is twenty three years old and not his eighteen month old son.”

Max wrapped his arm around Vicky’s neck and pulled her in, kissing her temple as they walked.

“You know you love me. And my kid.”

“Lukas is more mature than both you and Daniel combined. I love Lukas, not you,” Vicky joked back.

“To be fair, it’s not hard to be more mature than Daniel. It’s quite obvious that a toddler is better behaved than him.”

“I heard that you cheeky bugger,” Daniel murmured from behind, fingers tickling Max’s ribs before running past him with Aurelie following after him at a much slower pace, exasperated with the bouncy Aussie already. 

“I agree with Vicky. Lukas is the best out of the three of you,” she said as she walked past, winking conspiratorially at Vicky. The two press officers spent a lot of time hanging out when Max and Daniel were racing apparently, helping look after Lukas. 

Max dreaded to know just how many stories the two of them had exchanged and how many stories Vicky had told Aurelie about catching Max and Daniel having sex or sexual encounters or just plain making out when Daniel had still been at Red Bull. At least with Lukas being born whilst Daniel was starting out with Renault, it meant that Aurelie hadn’t been exposed to their horny asses. 

Just Michael instead, bless his heart. 

He couldn’t stop occasionally looking over to Daniel during the interviews, staring at him when he heard Daniel make an astonished ‘OH’ and then Max’s name came moments later. He had no idea what was his fault, but apparently something was. Even in the press conference, he couldn’t help but continuously look over at Daniel, smiling whenever he saw Daniel’s face light up at being asked a question regarding his p3. 

You’d think Daniel had _won_ the race with how excited he was. 

Max couldn’t stop himself from singing Daniel’s praises either, telling the journalists how wonderfully Daniel had drove and how he wasn’t made for cold weather. He really was a summer boy to say that they spent half their free time in England at the factories were it was perpetually _cold_. 

They walked out the press con hand in hand, Daniel’s fingers tapping some stupid rhythm against Max’s knuckles and fiddling with his engagement ring. 

“Take it you’re a bit happy right now,” Max grinned, swinging their hands a bit.

“Just a little bit. Can you come to my driver room really quick? I need to borrow you before we go to the debriefs.”

Max nodded and allowed Daniel to pull him through the Renault garage, waving sarcastically at Ocon as he passed him. Michael was already in Dan’s driver room, little Lukas cuddled into his chest as he watched a cartoon on Daniel’s laptop.

“What do you need?” Max asked. He watched Daniel sit down on the sofa and pull off his shoe, instantly clocking on.

“No. Hell no. No fucking way. I’m not doing a shooey.”

“I thought you said-“

“Shut the fuck up, Michael,” Max snapped before the trainer could call Max out for swearing in front of Lukas.

“You’re not doing a shooey, babe, I need you to help me with Lukas’,” Daniel explained.

“You are not giving your eighteen _month_ old son champagne!” Max practically yelled whilst Daniel rolled his eyes.

“Obviously I’m not going to. He’s having water, but he’s doing a shooey with me,” Daniel told him, taking Lukas into his arms and kissing his temple, holding him on his lap as they both looked up at Max with wide puppy eyes, begging to be allowed. “Please, Max.”

Max sighed and nodded, ultimately knowing that he couldn’t deny Daniel this. He’d been waiting for an opportunity to share this with Lukas, and as much as Max knew Lukas would probably spill more of it down himself than in his mouth, Daniel needed this. 

Lukas was straddling Daniel’s thigh as Max sat on the floor at their feet. Max undid Lukas’ trainer, putting it down on the floor next to Daniel’s and taking Daniel’s water bottle. He poured a small amount of water into Lukas’ shoe pre-emptively, tickling the bottom of Lukas’ foot when the toddler looked down at him curiously.

“No Daddy!” Lukas giggled, trying to pull his foot away.

“Lucky, when Daddy gives you your shoe, you’re going to drink it, okay? Copy Papa.”

“Cop’ Papa,” Lukas nodded and curled his arms backwards to go around Daniel’s neck.

Max shuffled away slightly, staying on the floor where Lukas could see him whilst Michael took Daniel’s phone into hand and opened the camera.

Daniel had his arm around Lukas’ waist as he looked up at the camera, waiting for Michael to give him the nod.

“So, the shoe is off, on both of us,” Daniel said, lifting his leg and Lukas’ to show that they were both in their socks. “And little guy here is going to join in.”

Daniel passed across the tiny bottle of champagne to Max so that he could open it.

“Obviously, contrary to popular belief, I am a responsible Father and so Lukas will be drinking water whilst Papa here drinks the champagne. Daddy Max is sat here as well to make sure Lukas doesn’t decide to try and steal my shoe, but yeah, this ones for you, Lukas. My little inspiration,” Daniel kissed Lukas’ cheek again, tickling him slightly and sending the toddler into a slight spasm.

“I was so caught up in the podium, and in Max attacking me with the champagne bottle, and obviously it’s been a while, but we’re here now and we’re going to do a shooey. So yeah, this ones for you,” Daniel grinned, taking his and Lukas’ shoes from Max. Daniel helped Lukas hold the shoe to his mouth as he took his own. 

Max smiled to himself as he watched Lukas and Daniel exchange a grin before the liquid started pouring down both their chins, Daniel’s champagne leaving white froth falling whilst Lukas’ shirt became wet around the neckline as it dripped down him. He’d been right. More of it spilt down Lukas than it did go in his mouth. He’d tried his best though, and as Max sat watching the tiny imitation of Daniel, his heart swelled with pride for the two boys he loved more than anything on the planet.

“Hmm, mother’s milk,” Daniel grinned, winking at the camera when he pulled his shoe away as Lukas grinned and hummed too, whilst Max grimaced at the words. He was just glad that Lukas didn’t make some weird, slightly sexual comment that didn’t make sense, thankfully not copying Daniel like he normally did. Already, Max could anticipate that as Lukas grew up, he’d be more and more like Daniel, copying his words, his behaviour and his accent (Max still found it adorable that there was a slight Aussie twang to his voice sometimes), however as long as Lukas didn’t copy Daniel’s dress sense, Max didn’t mind. 

Michael cut the camera seconds later, giving Max the opportunity to wipe Lukas’ face, neck, hands and chest. 

“Pass my little buddy over,” Michael grinned and smiled down at Lukas. Max passed Lukas over, along with the towel so that Michael could finish wiping Lukas’ chin whilst Max pushed himself up onto Daniel’s lap. Michael turned around almost instantly with Lukas resting his head against his chest, unable to see his parents, as Max threaded his fingers through Daniel’s curls and tilted his head back. 

“I’m going to take buddy for a snack, once you two are done celebrating come and find us,” Michael told them as he walked out, leaving Max to trace the taste of champagne from Daniel’s skin, licking a line up his throat to chase the intoxication. 

Neither Max or Daniel paid attention to Michael, knowing their son was safe in his arms. Daniel put his hands on Max’s waist and pulled him around, letting Max straddle his waist and rest against his thighs.

“First podium in 56 races together,” Max whispered against his neck. Daniel’s hands ran up and down the back of his thighs, tightening on them when Max ground down slightly.

“Mike’s gonna look after Lu tonight,” Daniel replied, “Told me earlier. Said we probably needed some time alone so he’s going to take Lukas back to his and we’re going to order in whatever food we want and have sex and cry over the podium.”

“Crying’s really part of your plan?” Max laughed as he pulled away, cupping Daniel’s jaw in his hands when he nodded. “I love you. And I’m so proud of you.”

“Thank you for believing in me,” Daniel whispered, pulling Max in for a bruising kiss. 

“Always.”

Daniel dropped his head onto Max’s shoulder and took a deep breath whilst Max massaged his fingers through Daniel’s curls.

Max was full on expecting that when they fell into bed that night (or probably more likely early hours of the morning), Daniel would clutch onto Max and sob on his chest whilst Max rubbed his back in much the same way he did with Lukas, but Max didn’t mind.

Daniel had done something amazing in getting his podium, and it meant Cyril was now going to get a tattoo.

He couldn’t help but wonder whether he’d be able to convince Daniel to sneak a Red Bull into it too...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 💙💙
> 
> Kudos, comments and feedback always greatly appreciated 
> 
> Tumblr is at 3303andmore💙

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Baby Harvey Meets F1 Drivers](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26568787) by [ZDcookie_996](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZDcookie_996/pseuds/ZDcookie_996)


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